New Resource from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

New Resource from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has just released a guide for health care professionals to help identify children and teenagers age 9 to 18 who are at risk for alcohol-related problems, provide brief counseling, and refer them to treatment resources if that is indicated.

The evidence-based guide, Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide, includes a two-question risk assessment as well as links to resources for motivational interviewing. NIAAA developed the guide and supporting pocket guide in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, a team of underage drinking researchers and clinical specialists, and practicing health care professionals.  

In contrast to other screens that focus on established alcohol problems, this early detection tool aims to help prevent alcohol-related problems in patients before they start or address them at an early stage.

The screening questions and risk scale, developed through primary survey research, are powerful predictors of current and future negative consequences of alcohol use.
 The screen consists of just two questions, which can be incorporated easily into patient interviews or pre-visit screening tools across the care spectrum, from annual exams to urgent care.

It’s the first tool to include friends’ drinking. The “friends” question will help identify patients at earlier stages of alcohol involvement and target advice to include the important risk of friends’ drinking.