| Alcohol is a widely enjoyed, misused, and abused legal substance consumed in the United States. Although alcohol is a legal substance in the United States, the consumptions does not come without risks. Alcohol is known to contribute to 60 known and preventable diseases. Adolescents socialize by using alcohol in their family lives, social gatherings, and among their own peer groups; they observe television programming and commercials, as well as social media, that feature alcohol. Adolescents do not have the experience or knowledge to understand the long-term physical and mental strain that alcohol puts on a person's body. In South Dakota, 75% of teens have consumed alcohol prior to the ninth grade (Prairie View Prevention Services, 2014). Chronic and heavy drinking during adolescence has been linked to cognitive deficits and alterations in the brain's activity and structure. Adolescents who begin drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol abuse than individuals who start at the legal age of 21 (NIAAA, 2015b).;The project's purpose was to implement a practice-improvement change in the primary-clinic at Coteau des Prairie Health Care System in Sisseton, SD. Through evidence-based screening tools, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Tool (for ages 18-26) and the Alcohol Screening and Brief Interventions for Youths (for ages 12-17), providers were given tools to appropriately screen patients in the selected age range for the presence of alcohol use and/or abuse. A quick-reference guide was developed for the providers; the guide contained age-specific brief interventions and a referral list of alcohol-specialty facilities in the region; the guide was an attempt to curb patients' present and future alcohol use and misuse. After the implementation, medical providers were surveyed about the project's effectiveness or efficacy at the clinic. The medical providers agreed or strongly agreed the project increased the prevalence of screening practices, improved clinical practice with brief interventions, and assisted with identification of referral services to match the specific needs of each individual. Screening and education about the risks of alcohol and early intervention strategies were successfully implemented into the project setting, improving clinical practice in Sisseton, SD. |
