Healthcare Providers

Alcohol Policy MD.com

This site is for health professionals and others who want to fight alcohol problems, especially underage drinking, by changing clinical practice and the social environment.  This website is dedicated to promoting physician and community action on alcohol and health. We envision a world where underage alcohol use will be eliminated, and all people will be protected from the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, promotion and distribution.

Our mission is to promote public and patient health by encouraging physicians and physician organizations to:

  • Provide valid, scientific information and education about the consequences of alcohol consumption on public and individual health, the family, and society.
  • Apply science, best medical practices, professional standards, and AMA policy to enable patients to reduce or avoid the personal and familial negative impacts of alcohol use.
  • Promote and advocate for science-based policies, environmental solutions, and preventive strategies to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol consumption on the community and on society.
  • Advocate for the rights of all children, adolescents, young adults and all people who do not, or for health or other reasons cannot, consume alcohol to be safeguarded from pressure to drink and supported in their non-drinking behavior.

Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth

The American Academy of Pediatrics and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have jointly developed this simple, quick, empirically derived tool for identifying youth at risk for alcohol-related problems.  If you manage the health and well-being of children and adolescents ages 9–18 years, this Guide is for you.

Why choose this tool?

It can detect risk early:  In contrast to other screens that focus on established alcohol problems, this early detection tool aims to help you prevent alcohol-related problems in your patients before they start or address them at an early stage.

It’s empirically based:  The screening questions and risk scale, developed through primary survey research, are powerful predictors of current and future negative consequences of alcohol use.

It’s fast and versatile:  The screen consists of just two questions that you can incorporate easily into patient interviews or pre-visit screening tools across the care spectrum, from annual exams to urgent care.

It’s the first tool to include friends’ drinking:  The “friends” question will help you identify patients at earlier stages of alcohol involvement and target advice to include the important risk factor of friends’ drinking.