Managed alcohol programmes (MAPs) are harm reduction initiatives that treat the alcohol abuse of vulnerable people by serving controlled amounts of alcohol on a daily schedule, with the goal of ensuring individuals consume safe alcoholic beverages in an environment that has been shown to retain vulnerable people in treatment programmes, decrease alcohol consumption and improve social functioning (decreasing criminal activity, seeking regular medical care and improving quality of life). As well as MAP, there are alternative interventions such as brief intervention, moderate drinking and abstinence oriented 12-step programmes. With the exception of 12-step programmes, which emphasise abstinence, these interventions are aimed at changing drinking patterns and reducing the associated behaviours. No experimental studies were available to demonstrate the effectiveness of MAPs in reducing alcohol use or antisocial behaviour compared with other treatments.