Table 1 Eligibility and outcome definitions

Eligibility criteria for trial entry based on re-contact interview

PROXY reports (or self reports for men living alone) of hazardous drinking defined as one or more occurrences of any of the following:

• zapoi in the past year

• surrogates in the past year

• hangover and/or excessive drunkenness and/or going to sleep clothed due to being drunk twice or more per week on average over the past year

• weekly average of 250 mls or more of ethanol from beverages over the past year (ie 25+ UK alcohol units/week)

Primary outcome (3 months post-randomisation)

SELF report of hazardous drinking in defined as one or more occurrences of any of the following:

• zapoi in the past month

• surrogates in the past month

• hangover and/or excessive drunkenness and/or going to sleep clothed due to being drunk twice or more per week on average over the past year

• 250 mls or more of ethanol from beverages in the past week from beverages (ie 25+ UK alcohol units)

Secondary outcome (12 months post-randomisation)

SELF report of hazardous drinking defined as one or more occurrences of:

• as above at 3 months

Supplementary secondary outcome (12 months post-randomisation)

PROXY report of hazardous drinking defined as one or more occurrences of:

• as above at 3 months except proxy rather than self- report

SELF completed:

• AUDIT questionnaire (W.H.O. developed global screening assessment of hazardous drinking [26]

• Leeds Dependency questionnaire [27]

• SIP (Short Index of Problems) questionnaire [28]

Biomarkers of:

• liver damage (GGT, ALT, AST)

• recent heavy drinking (CDT) [29]