Authors: Kaner EF, Beyer F, Dickinson HO, Pienaar E, Campbell F, Schlesinger C, Heather N, Saunders J, Burnand B.

Many trials reported that brief interventions are effective in reducing excessive drinking. However, some trials have been criticised for being clinically unrepresentative and unable to inform clinical practice. This article aims at assessing the effectiveness of brief intervention, delivered in general practice or based primary care, to reduce alcohol consumption.

Author: Lacey J.

One of the main thrusts of contemporary alcohol misuse policies is that early intervention can make a real difference to patterns of problem drinking, as long as healthcare professionals are given the right skills. However, healthcare professionals themselves suggest that they are often unsure of how to raise issues, and feel that they lack the skills or knowledge to do this effectively. This study investigates the perceptions and training needs of health visitors, school nurses, nursery nurses and practice nurses in relation to alcohol misuse primary prevention and the delivery of brief interventions in their day-to-day work.

Author: Bray JW, Zarkin GA, Hinde JM, Mills MJ.

This article summarizes the literature on the implementation costs of alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) in medical settings.

Authors: Paul P Glasziou, Heather Buchan , Chris Del Mar, Jenny Doust, Mark Harris, Rosemary Knight, Anthony Scott, Ian A Scott, Alexis Stockwell

Financial incentives can sometimes improve the quality of clinical practice, but they may also be an expensive distraction. This BMJ article presents a checklist, based on a review of the positive and negative effects of financial incentives, to aid those making the difficult and costly decision of whether and how to use a financial incentive and to help prevent their premature or inappropriate implementation.

Full title: Vested interests in addiction research and policy. Why do we not see the corporate interests of the alcohol industry as clearly as we see those of the tobacco industry?

Author: Sally Casswell

The aim of this publication is to compare the current status of global alcohol corporations with tobacco in terms of their role in global governance and to document the process by which this difference has been achieved and the consequences for alcohol control policy.