In the UK the NHS estimates that around 9% of men and 4% of UK women show signs of alcohol dependence. History
The term alcohol dependence has replaced alcoholism as a term in order that individuals do not internalize the idea of cure and disease, but can approach alcohol as a chemical they may depend upon to cope with outside pressures. The contemporary definition of alcohol dependence is still based upon early research. There has been considerable scientific effort over the past several decades to identify and understand the core features of alcohol dependence. This work began in 1976, when the British psychiatrist Griffith Edwards and his American colleague Milton M. Gross  collaborated to produce a formulation of what had previously been understood as alcoholism – the alcohol dependence syndrome. The alcohol dependence syndrome was seen as a cluster of seven elements that concur. It was argued that not all elements may be present in every case, but the picture is sufficiently regular and coherent to permit clinical recognition. The syndrome was also considered to exist in degrees of severity rather than as a categorical absolute. Thus, the proper question is not whether a person is dependent on alcohol, but how far along the path of dependence has a person progressed. See also
Alcohol intoxication
Alcoholic drink
Alcohol-related dementia
CRAFFT Screening Test
Disulfiram-like drug
High-functioning alcoholic
Long-term effects of alcohol consumption
Paddington alcohol test

Notes
External links

Arnold Little, MD Alcohol Dependence – extensive article
SADD – Short Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire. A brief, self-administered questionnaire sometimes utilised in individual or group treatments.
Alcoholism refers to an entity in which alcohol or any cross-tolerant addictive agent is involved. In alcohol dependence, reduction of alcohol, as defined within DSM-IV, can be attained by learning to control the use of alcohol. That is, a client can be offered a social learning approach that helps them to cope with external pressures by re-learning their pattern of drinking alcohol. In alcoholism, patients are generally not presumed to be in remission unless they are abstinent from alcohol.The following elements are the template for which the degree of dependence is judged:

Narrowing of the drinking repertoire. Increased salience of the need for alcohol over competing needs and responsibilities. An acquired tolerance to alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms. Relief or avoidance of withdrawal symptoms by further drinking. Subjective awareness of compulsion to drink. Reinstatement after abstinence. Screening
AUDIT has replaced older screening tools such as CAGE but there are many shorter alcohol screening tools, mostly derived from the AUDIT. The Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SAD-Q) is a more specific twenty-item inventory for assessing the presence and severity of alcohol dependence. AUDIT
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is considered the most accurate alcohol screening tool for identifying potential alcohol misuse, including dependence. It was developed by the World Health Organisation, designed initially for use in primary healthcare settings with supporting guidance. CAGE
The CAGE questionnaire, the name of which is an acronym of its four questions, is a widely used method of screening for alcoholism.