Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Nurses to offer patients advice on alcohol intake

Nurses are to advise patients about their drinking habits as part of a scheme to tackle binge drinking.

Patients who return to hospital for treatment after a drink-related injury will receive advice from nurses about their alcohol intake.

The assembly government-led scheme will start across Wales in February.

The chief nursing officer for Wales said the binge-drinking culture was “getting worse” and this could help reduce long term damage to health.

A recent report suggested 1,000 deaths each year in Wales are linked to alcohol misuse.

Research by Professor Jonathan Shepherd, of Cardiff university’s violence research group, has found it is possible to detect alcohol misuse and treat it using “brief interventions when patients with injuries return to hospital”.

He said: “Excessive drinking is a major cause of illness, injury, and behavioural problems in Wales.

“The chief medical officer for Wales’ latest annual report found that some 45,000 hospital admissions and 1,000 deaths every year in Wales are linked to alcohol misuse.

“One way to address this is through brief interventions. Hospital treatment can be a sobering experience for people and evidence shows that people are more receptive to healthcare messages when they are delivered in a clinical setting.”

The initiative, which is part of a partnership between NHS Wales and Cardiff University, is designed to target drinkers who do not need specialist alcohol treatment but whose drinking is likely to eventually damage their health.

Nurses who work in trauma and maxillofacial clinics are being encouraged to be trained to provide the advice.

‘Increasing burden’

Chief medical officer for Wales Dr Tony Jewell said the assembly government’s substance misuse strategy had provided the impetus for the development.

“In my recent letter to the service I highlighted the need to educate people about the health risks associated with exceeding safe drinking limits and make sure the health service takes this opportunity to engage fully in this training programme.”

Rosemary Kennedy, chief nursing officer for Wales said: “Binge-drinking culture is getting worse in Wales.

“Evidence-based interventions will help reduce the long-term damage from excessive drinking and the increasing burden on the NHS.”

source: BBC News

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Fetal Alcohol Disorders Often Misdiagnosed as ADHD

Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are often initially diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, since the two problems can manifest in similar ways, a new study shows. However, children with FASD have more difficulty interpreting social information than children with ADHD, and this results in more severe behavioral problems, the researchers found. The study….

Alcohol abuse adds significantly to costs of doing business

Ensuring Solutions has come up with some sobering facts about alcohol abuse and its impact in almost all facets of our society. Excessive alcohol use by employees and their family members has a substantial impact on the cost of doing business. It costs U.S. employers billions in lost productivity and additional health care costs every….

Types of Pain Killer Addiction Treatment

Pain killer addiction can pose serious challenges in treatment. Many different methods of pain killer addiction treatment exist to help people who suffer from physical dependence to reclaim their lives and get on the right path to sobriety and long term recovery. For most recovering addicts, the first step in healing is to spend time….

Is Medication the Only Option in ADHD Treatment?

How does a physician decide to treat a patient with ADHD (Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity Disorder)? Different types of ADHD treatment are available. With detailed observation, the patient should be studied at length in order to discover which options work for that particular individual. The treatment of ADHD should be tailored with a consideration of special….

Load your plate with plant foods to help fight cancer

Up to a third of all cancers could be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle. At the start of Cancer Prevention Week, Lisa Cooney, head of education at the World Cancer Research Fund, examines how what we eat and drink affects our cancer risk IT HAS become increasingly clear over the past few years that….