A substantial amount of resources available to the health services in Norway are spent on alcohol- and drug-related disorders. Physicians play an important role in preventing, diagnosing and treating these disorders. We have reviewed the curricula used at our four Norwegian medical schools for education in this field. The curricula are characterized by lack of specified educational goals and are somewhat limited, seen in relation to the extent of the alcohol- and drug-related problems. With reference to a structured educational programme at Karolinska Sjukhuset, Stockholm, we propose a new Norwegian model for alcohol- and drug related medical education. This model focuses especially on early identification of problems and intervention in harmful alcohol consumption.