Recent bulletins from the 
drug and alcohol Bank:
Lessons of test bed for alcohol harm reduction innovations
In the south east of England a bidding exercise generated a spate of
short-term innovative projects to reduce alcohol-related harm. Five
models including outreach and brief intervention were assessed as most
promising and taken forward for further implementation and assessment
the following year - an unusually intensive test bed from which others
can learn valuable implementation lessons.
More does not always mean better in preventing youth
drinking
Implementing alcohol use prevention tactics in a coordinated manner on several
fronts at once - school, family and the broader community - ought to maximise
impacts compared more limited programmes, but this authoritative review found
no convincing evidence that this was the case. Even the evidence for any impact
was patchy. Our analysis focuses on whether adding extra components adds extra
value.
How to achieve positive change in Welsh drinking culture
What will it take for Wales (and by extension, the UK as a whole) to
adopt safer drinking practices which cut the national burden of
drink-related harm? This research report thoughtfully reflects evidence
from reviews and recent and seminal studies, offering guidance not just
on each intervention type, but on what the most effective mix might be.
Working with families helps prevent adolescent drinking
Authoritative review finds that offering families of school-age children help
to curb or prevent their drinking usually works - but typically effects are
modest and may apply only to a minority of compliant and keen families. Our analysis
pays particular attention to whether it is worth adding work with the parents
to school substance use education, or best instead to focus resources on
directly working with the young people.
Whole team training may counter detox ward staff burn-out
Even more so than in a typical psychiatric ward, staff at a London inpatient alcohol treatment ward experienced high levels of stress and other indicators of potential burn-out. Whole-team training seemed to help, reflected especially in feelings of greater competence in working with sometimes challenging and complex patients.
Recent Findings hot topics include:
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