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Objectives On 1 May 2018 minimum unit pricing (MUP) of alcohol was introduced in Scotland. This study used Twitter posts to quantify sentiment expressed online during the introduction of MUP, conducted a thematic analysis of these perceptions and analysed which Twitter users were associated with which particular sentiments. Design and setting This qualitative social media analysis captured all tweets relating to MUP during the 2 weeks after the introduction of the policy. These tweets were assessed using a mixture of human and machine coding for relevance, sentiment and source. A thematic analysis was conducted. Participants 74 639 tweets were collected over 14 days. Of these 53 574 were relevant to MUP. Results Study findings demonstrate that opinion on the introduction of MUP in Scotland was somewhat divided, as far as is discernible on Twitter, with a slightly higher proportion of positive posts (35%) than negative posts (28%), with positive sentiment stronger in Scotland itself. Furthermore, 55% of positive tweets/retweets were originally made by health or alcohol policy-related individuals or organisations. Thematic analysis of tweets showed some evidence of misunderstanding around policy issues. Conclusions It is possible to appreciate the divided nature of public opinion on the introduction of MUP in Scotland using Twitter, the nature of the sentiment around it and the key actors involved. It will be possible to later study how this changes when the policy becomes more established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The prevention of initiation of tobacco, alcohol and drug use is a major societal challenge, for which the existing research literature is generally disappointing. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of adaptation of Motivational Interviewing (MI) for universal prevention purposes, i.e. to prevent initiation of new substance use among non-users, and to reduce risks among existing users. METHODS: Cluster randomised trial with 416 students aged 16-19 years old recruited in 12 London Further Education colleges without regard to substance use status. Individualised MI was compared with standard practice classroom-delivered Drug Awareness intervention, both delivered over the course of one lesson. Prevalence, initiation and cessation rates for the 3 target behaviours of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and cannabis use, along with reductions in use and harm indicators after both 3 and 12 months were assessed. RESULTS: This adaptation of MI was not demonstrated to be effective in either intention-to-treat or sub-group analyses for any outcome. Unexpected lower levels of cannabis initiation and prevalence were found in the Drug Awareness control condition. CONCLUSIONS: This particular adaptation of MI is ineffective as a universal drug prevention intervention and does not merit further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brief interventions are known to be effective in changing both substance use and other health-compromising behaviors. It is unknown whether they may have secondary effects on behaviors which are not specifically targeted. The literature on brief alcohol interventions was selected to explore this possibility, with a study focus on secondary impact on cigarette smoking. The CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PSYCINFO bibliographic databases were searched for reviews of brief alcohol intervention studies published in English language, peer-reviewed journals between 1995 and 2005. Authors of primary studies identified in the reviews were contacted to ascertain whether or not their studies had collected cigarette smoking data and, if available, to obtain data. Random effect models were used to pool data for meta-analysis. Eleven review papers reported the results of 41 individual primary studies which were included in this systematic review. Fourteen of these studies collected cigarette smoking outcome data, of which 7 studies still had information available and provided these data for meta-analysis. There were no between-group differences in smoking cessation or reduction across these studies. High levels of smoking cessation were detected in both brief intervention and control groups with much heterogeneity between studies. Brief alcohol interventions do not also reduce cigarette smoking, and it appears unlikely that there exist other important secondary effects. The behavioral consequences of brief intervention study participation itself warrant further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rates of mortality due to cirrhosis of the liver are an important indicator of population levels of alcohol harm. Total recorded alcohol consumption in Britain doubled between 1960 and 2002, giving rise to a need to examine and assess cirrhosis mortality trends. Methods: Mortality rates were calculated for all ages and for specific age-groups (15-44 years and 45-64 years) for cirrhosis of the liver. Rates were directly age-standardised to the European standard population and compared with rates from 12 western European countries for the period 1955-2001. Findings: Cirrhosis mortality rates increased steeply in Britain during the 1990s. Between the periods 1987-1991, and 1997-2001, cirrhosis mortality in men in Scotland more than doubled (104% increase) and in England and Wales rose by over two-thirds (69%). Mortality in women increased by almost half (46% in Scotland and 44% in England and Wales). These relative increases are the steepest in western Europe, and contrast with the declines apparent in most other countries examined, particularly those of southern Europe. Cirrhosis mortality rates in Scotland are now one of the highest in western Europe, in 2002 being 45.2 per 100,000 in men and 19.9 in women. Interpretation: Current alcohol policies in Britain should be assessed by the extent to which they can successfully halt the adverse trends in liver cirrhosis mortality. The situation in Scotland warrants particular attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: To test whether a single session of motivational interviewing (discussing alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use) would lead successfully to reduction in use of these drugs or in perceptions of drug-related risk and harm among young people. DESIGN: Cluster randomized trial, allocating 200 young people in the natural groups in which they were recruited to either motivational interviewing (n=105) or non-intervention education-as-usual control condition (n=95). SETTING: Ten further education colleges across inner London. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred young people (age range 16-20 years) currently using illegal drugs, with whom contact was established through peers trained for the project. INTERVENTION: The intervention was adapted from the literature on motivational interviewing in the form of a 1-hour single-session face-to-face interview structured by a series of topics. MEASUREMENTS: Changes in self-reported cigarette, alcohol, cannabis and other drug use and in a range of drug-specific perceptions and other indicators of risk and harm. Measurement at recruitment and follow-up interview 3 months later. FINDINGS: A good follow-up rate (89.5%; 179 of 200) was achieved. In comparison to the control group, those randomized to motivational interviewing reduced their of use of cigarettes, alcohol and cannabis, mainly through moderation of ongoing drug use rather than cessation. Effect sizes were 0.37 (0.15-0.6), 0.34 (0.09-0.59) and 0.75 (0.45-1.0) for reductions in the use of cigarettes, alcohol and cannabis, respectively. For both alcohol and cannabis, the effect was greater among heavier users of these drugs and among heavier cigarette smokers. The reduced cannabis use effect was also greater among youth usually considered vulnerable or high-risk according to other criteria. Change was also evident in various indicators of risk and harm, but not as widely as the changes in drug consumption. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first substantial evidence of non-treatment benefit to be derived among young people involved in illegal drug use in receipt of motivational interviewing. The targeting of multiple drug use in a generic fashion among young people has also been supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]