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SPOTLIGHT ON RESOURCES
New surveys documenting the extent and costs of alcohol abuse -- such as the
report of the Task Force of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism highlighted in last month's HABIT -- have received extensive
media coverage. As a result, Americans are coming to understand not only how
much the actions of those who drink immoderately cost our society, but also
that these drinkers aren't necessarily alcoholics.
Fortunately, members of the biobehavioral research community have also been
amassing important information on drinking. In this case, they've secured
proof that a short screening for at-risk drinking behaviors and a simple
counseling technique known as a brief intervention can help primary care
providers identify high-risk drinkers and catalyze significant change in
drinking behaviors. This screening-intervention combination has been shown
to produce dramatic reductions in crime, accidents, emergency room
admissions and other costly consequences of immoderate drinking. (For more
on this approach, see the Center's briefing on targeting the at-risk drinker
at www.cfah.org.)
This month's spotlight therefore falls on a timely update of "Screening and
Brief Intervention for Alcohol Problems in Primary Care." This two-booklet
set from the World Health Organization's Department of Mental Health and
Substance Dependence provides everything researchers and health
professionals need to evaluate risk level of drinking behavior and conduct a
brief intervention.
The 2001 update, WHO explains, was prompted by the growing use of alcohol
screening in general and AUDIT in particular, as well as the need to
incorporate the latest advances in research and clinical experience.
HABIT readers will find new these publications useful not only in their
research, but also in their outreach and training endeavors with health care
providers.
The first booklet explains AUDIT (the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification
Test), first published in 1989, and provides the latest version. The second
booklet explains the content and use of a brief intervention, and provides
sample materials. Both succeed in deflating unfortunate myths -- such as the
erroneous belief that screening is too time-intensive -- that have prevented
many primary care providers from making the approach part of their routine
practice.
The publications are available as a printed set or may be copied separately
from the WHO Web site. (Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download
the files.) Go to whqlibdoc.who.int
the AUDIT booklet and whqlibdoc.who.int
for the Brief Intervention booklet.
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