Abstract: Health professionals, as well as clients, appear to often miss, ignore or avoid alcohol as a health problem. Changes in role for Nurses as well as changes in concepts of alcoholism, alcohol and alcohol control especially in sociological terms led to this study of Nurse's attitudes to alcohol as a social issue. Aim was to shed light on the adequacy of Nurses to function in the community and in the application of sociologically oriented programs of alcohol control. 44 Student Nurses on the point of entering clinical practise were questioned on 21 attitude items. Their responses were compared to those of 100 respondents selected as comparable demographically from 10,000 New Zealanders surveyed in 1978-79 by A.L.A.C. Differences were found, but no strong profile of distinctive 'nurse' views could be identified with confidence. No real extra concern for alcohol issues could be established giving some doubts about the efficiency of Nurses in the workplace. Nurses did differ in some areas of social viewpoints from the general New Zealand population but further studies are needed to more exactly define dimensions of these differences