SBI Program Reduces Heavy Alcohol Use and Illicit Drug Use, Study Says

SBI Program Reduces Heavy Alcohol Use and Illicit Drug Use, Study Says
November 5, 2008

Research Summary

A new report concludes that Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) programs decrease illicit-drug use rates by 67.7 percent and heavy alcohol use rates by 38.6 percent.

Researchers from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) analyzed data from 459,599 patients who were screened for alcohol and other drug use at a variety of health-care facilities, and followed up with subjects six months later to track changes in drug-use rates. The report showed that of the illicit-drug users participating in SBIRT programs, 64.3 percent reported fewer arrests, 45.8 percent who were homeless said they were no longer homeless, and 31.2 percent reported fewer emotional problems.

The SBIRT program can be used in health-care facilities like primary care centers, hospital emergency rooms, and trauma centers to screen patients for signs of substance abuse and refer them to treatment, as needed.

The report includes data from six organizations running SBIRT programs funded by SAMHSA.

The research was published online in the October 16, 2008 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

This article summarizes an external report or press release on research published in a scientific journal. When available, links to the sources are provided above.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by macpo on 06 Nov 08 10:52 AM EST

This approach also works very well in a community-corrections setting. Certified/ licensed AoD professionals in a probation department intervene during a presentence/ supervision period and have the clout of the court to back them up, I have seen this work many times over the years.

Posted by Mary See on 06 Nov 08 10:59 AM EST

This is wonderful news! The recent adoption by the medical profession and related services of so many of the recommendations by the Recovery Community for prevention and treatmentis a sign that the efforts to educate doctors and the public about the nature of the illness and methods to treat it are finally paying off. One remaining major hurdle is to convince medical school deans that doctors in training need more than an hour lecture on alcoholism to prepare them to tackle this major public health problem which for the first time in history has treatment that works.

Posted by caj on 06 Nov 08 05:17 PM EST

I suppose these stats speak well of the programs, but what was the panel of drugs tested? Does it include a broad spectrum of prescription drugs, which are being abused at an alarmingly increasing rate? Did the participants know what they would be tested for, so they could change their "drug of choice"? Too many programs, from drug treatment to drug court, though well intentioned, are sticking to either tried and true panels, or todrug testing panels that are too small. As well, what was the testing methodology? On-site? Laboratory? What matrix? Was there LC/MS/MS or GC/MS/MS confirmation?These questions are posed only because this is an important issue, and there are those of us who are passionate about drug testing, but to have truly valid answers, then the best testing methodolgies- from the cross-reactivity of screening anitbodies to scientifically valid screening processes must be taken into consideration. Studies must be able to provide an accurate window and scope of what drugs are actually being abused.

Posted by maxwood on 07 Nov 08 05:16 PM EST

Given that cannabis is usually included in the category "illicit" drugs and accounts for a large portion of referrals mainly due to court orders, this coercion is misleadingly depicted by pro-prohibition opinion-makers as evidence that cannabis is a large part of "the drug problem".

Posted by Ken Schonlau, Sober Liivng Network on 10 Nov 08 05:07 PM EST

Reducing use for a few in clincal treatment is not effectively addressing and reducing alcohol and drug problems. Needed are recovery support housing and community centers.

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