Alcohol Brief Interventions (ABIs)

Alcohol Brief Interventions (ABIs) are short, evidence-based, structured conversations about alcohol consumption with an individual. They seek, in a non-confrontational way, to motivate and support the individual to think about their drinking behaviours and possible changes they could make to reduce their consumption.

ABIs reflect the aims of the Scottish Government’s Public Health Priorities for Scotland, specifically Priority 4 which is “A Scotland where we reduce the use of and harm from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs”. ABIs also link with the objectives of the Scottish Government’s Rights, Respect and Recovery Strategy, and the Scottish Alcohol Framework, as well as the World Health Organization’s SAFER strategy.

Healthy Shetland staff conduct ABIs as part of delivering other programmes. ABI training is also available via a 1.5hr online course, delivered over Teams, and is aimed at frontline staff groups both within and outwith the NHS. The training explains how to raise the issue of alcohol and have a short conversation about it with an individual using health behaviour change techniques. It includes:

• The impact of alcohol on individuals and the community
• Raising the issue of alcohol with an individual
• Units of alcohol, how to calculate units and hazardous/harmful consumption levels
• The 4 stage ABI approach
• Building confidence and motivation to make changes, ways to reduce alcohol consumption and coping strategies.