The Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide has just been released from the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This guide is especially helpful for individuals and organizations that manage the health and well-being of 9- 18-year-olds. The Guide, which was designed to help health care professionals quickly identify youth at risk for alcohol-related problems, is now available in Spanish. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism developed the guide and accompanying pocket guide in collaboration with a team of underage drinking researchers and clinical specialists and practicing health care professionals. The tools, tips, and resources are designed to help individuals and organizations surmount common obstacles to youth alcohol screening in primary care. Typical barriers include insufficient time, unfamiliarity with screening tools, the need to triage competing problems, and uncertainty about how to manage a positive screen.
Why use this tool?
- It can detect risk early: 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.
- It is empirically based: The screening questions and risk scale, developed through primary survey research, are powerful predictors of current and future negative consequences of alcohol use.
- It is fast and versatile: 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.
Population of Focus: Youth
Links to Resources:
- Download the guide in English
- Download the guide in Spanish
- Download the pocket guide
- Read the fact sheet, Underage Drinking: Myths vs. Facts
- View the data visualization, Getting Ahead of the Problem
Date: 2022