Findings bulletins: minimum unit pricing - politics & evidence, prevention effectiveness, brief intervention implementation

Recent bulletins from the drug and alcohol bank:

Politics and evidence on crucial UK public health policy [minimum pricing]

Eliminating cheap alcohol by setting a high minimum price per unit promises the greatest feasible health gains per alcohol policy £, but also risks the greatest political backlash. So much is at stake for opposing interests that evidence is disputed and the politics have swung under pressure from lobbyists and competing philosophies. This Effectiveness Bank hot topic delves in to the fire.
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Prevention overview from EU’s drug misuse centre

Based largely on existing reviews, this report published by the EU’s drug misuse centre comprehensively assesses substance use prevention approaches. Among its conclusions are that approaches based solely on information are ineffective, in contrast to more positive evidence for lifeskills and multi-component community programmes

Positive organisational climate promotes screening and brief intervention

From Brazilian primary care clinics, a rare confirmation that a positive organisational climate featuring commitment to staff development and good links with the community is associated with overcoming the barriers to implementing alcohol screening and brief intervention programmes which undermine their public health potential.

Brief alcohol interventions not effective in real-world conditions

What has been recognised as the world’s most successful effort to implement alcohol brief interventions across an entire health system had no significant impacts on the drinking of US ex-military personnel, seen as a prime example of the disappointing results of these interventions in real-world conditions.