Health bosses in Portsmouth have been given the cash after shock figures revealed that more than 40,000 people in the city are drinking at levels which are either risky or outright dangerous.
A report by the North West Public Health Observatory found Portsmouth had 32,326 people drinking at 'hazardous' levels, and 8,628 'harmful' drinkers.
And across the area covered by Hampshire Primary Care Trust, including Fare-ham, Gosport, and Havant, a further 224,837 people are endangering their health with booze.
The cash will be used to fund a team of four alcohol workers for the city to identify people who drink too much.
The team will work closely with doctors and nurses to offer patients advice and counselling to help them cut back on alcohol use.
And two more alcohol workers will tackle people arrested for alcohol-related offences, including fighting in public and domestic violence, to try to stop them re-offending in the future.
Alan Knobel, substance misuse co-ordinator for the Safer Portsmouth Partner-ship, said: 'It's great news that we have been awarded this funding to tackle harmful drinking.
'Long-term harmful drinking is associated with a wide range of illnesses, such as heart disease, liver disease, strokes and cancer.
'It is also associated with social problems such as violence, criminal damage as well as anti-social behaviour.'
Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, the PCT director of public health, said: 'We are concerned that a minority of people are regularly drinking above recommended limits, and we want to provide them with accurate information, advice and assistance to encourage them towards sensible drinking.'
The projects will start this July and the funding is set to run indefinitely.
The money comes as the government launches a major public health campaign on Monday to raise awareness of the health impacts of drinking too much.
Dr Will Cavendish, director of health and wellbeing at the Department of Health, has written to all GPs to ask them to lookout for heavy drinkers so they can get the help they need.
Dr Edmondson-Jones added: 'We are pleased that we are able to provide new alcohol services for the residents of Portsmouth.'