Effectiveness Bank web site Bulletin
Supported by  Alcohol Research UK web site   Society for the Study of Addiction web site
Effectiveness Bank additions 13 October 2015
For risky drinkers a brief follow-up after alcohol advice can make all the difference, and a seemingly trivial change to the terms used to compare their drinking with their peers dramatically increased students’ appetites for finding out more. But a minimum six-month alcohol treatment programme imposed by British courts made no discernible difference to re-offending.
Among the ‘Also added’ brief entries, why GPs need quick ways to identify problem substance users, one very quick way to do it, fostering citizenship has mixed effects among US dual diagnosis clients, and US experts offer guidance on using medications to treat opioid addiction.

Choose analyses to view by scrolling down and clicking the blue titles.
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Boosters needed for brief advice to cut drinking of young emergency patients
Analysis of the only four randomised trials of brief alcohol interventions among young adults receiving emergency care after getting drunk tentatively suggested that booster sessions or later advice are needed to reduce drinking.

Follow-up call needed for trauma unit alcohol advice to cut drinking
US trauma centres dealing with serious and often alcohol-related injuries ought to be conducive to brief alcohol interventions, but this first multi-site trial found motivational counselling more effective than minimal advice only when followed by a ‘booster’ phone call.
Also see major UK emergency department trial.

Small change to preventive messages could prompt heavy drinkers to seek help
‘Social norm’ interventions which aim to reduce drinking by comparing heavy drinkers consumption with that of their peers have a patchy record, but this British college study suggests they might be improved by a small change: ranking against peers (eg, ‘You drink more than 80% of students’) rather than comparing how many units of alcohol they consume.
Also see this Effectiveness Bank hot topic on social norms interventions.

Re-offending not reduced by court-ordered alcohol treatment in England
The first UK evaluation of court-ordered alcohol treatment to feature an adequate comparison group found no significant reductions in re-offending from alcohol treatment requirements imposed as part of a probation sentence. Why did such a major intervention not prove effective?
Also added to the Effectiveness Bank
European GPs identify less than a third of the problem drinkers among their patients
Just two questions identified 9 in 10 US primary care patients with drug use problems
US citizenship programme reduced substance use and enhanced quality of life
Expert US guidance on treating opioid addiction

The Alcohol and Drug Treatment Matrices: core research selected and explored
Alcohol matrix for alcohol brief interventions and treatment
Drug matrix for harm reduction and treatment in relation to illegal drugs

The Drug and Alcohol Findings Effectiveness Bank offers a free mailing list service updating subscribers to UK-relevant evaluations of drug/alcohol interventions. Findings is supported by Alcohol Research UK and the Society for the Study of Addiction and advised by the National Addiction Centre and the Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals.