Japan has just enacted a national law for alcohol, that named "Basic Act on Measures Against Alcohol-related Health Harm".
 This article includes 5 topics; i) General psychiatrists have the roles and responsibilities in this law, ii) All psychiatrists need to know about alcohol-related health harm and alcohol-related problem, iii) Alcohol dependence is attributed to change of neurotransmitter in the brain, iv) Mood disorder is more likely to be complicated by alcohol dependence and/or hazardous drinking. Some of the patients with the above-mentioned complicated disease have alcohol-induced mood disorder, v) If the patient has alcohol-induced mood disorder, it will place priority on alcoholism treatment and will be important to quickly resolve with abstinence.
 Finally, the proposals are made as follows; i) Making a guideline, ii) Physicians skilled at SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) should be qualified as a certifying physician, and having the qualification should allow reimbursing medical institutions for the alcohol related service provided.
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