NIH Release Clinicians Guide to Screen for Underage Drinking

According to a recent news release from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), just two questions from a newly released guide could allow health care professionals to spot youth at risk for alcohol-related problems. The guide is now available from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the NIH.

The new guide developed in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, clinical researchers, and health practitioners,  introduces a brief screening tool and an innovative youth alcohol risk estimator to help clinicians overcome time constraints and other common barriers to youth alcohol screening.

NIAAA acting director, Dr. Kenneth Warren states, “We know that alcohol is by far the drug of choice among youth. Underage drinking is also a marker for other unhealthy behaviors and it often goes undetected. This new tool was designed to allow busy practitioners who manage the health and well-being of children and adolescents to conduct fast, effective alcohol screens and brief interventions”. The full guide can be accessed by visiting the link found here: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/YouthGuide/YouthGuide.pdf