Alcohol-related problems were present in 22.4% of 353 consecutive, non-obstetric, adult, public patients admitted to Darwin Hospital over a period of 23 days. 18.1% were admitted because of these problems. These figures are no greater than those reported from hospitals in Sydney despite tbe fact that alcohol consumption is much higher in the Northern Territory than in the rest of Australia. There was no significant difference in the figures for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients. Almost half of the admissions with trauma were alcohol-related.