Public Health Scotland have published a review of the National Alcohol Brief Intervention programme. Based on the
discussions and findings from programme board a series of recommendations for the Scottish Government include:
- reaffirm its commitment to the programme and its reorientation to flexible, evidenceinformed conversations about alcohol
- set out the steps by which its vision of embedding conversations about alcohol can be
achieved over 10 years - seek engagement and leadership from the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Nursing
Officer, the Royal College of Midwives and other relevant professional organisations to
normalise conversations about alcohol. - Additionally, the following actions are recommended:
Action area 1: Making the conversation about alcohol a routine wellbeing conversation
Action area 2: Describing what conversations should look like in practice
Action area 3: Reducing inequalities in alcohol-related harms
Action area 4: Workforce development, training and health information resource requirements
Action area 5: Reduce stigma by having conversations about alcohol
Action area 6: Ensure conversations about alcohol are embedded as part of a wider
comprehensive population-wide prevention strategy to promote health and reduce inequalities
Action area 7: Embedding learning at the heart of governance and accountability mechanisms
Click here to read the full report
