Knowledge & Resources:
Alcohol and substance use

What are the challenges within alcohol use prevention work in the region and what opportunities a transnational collaboration can bring? In this episode we discuss changes in alcohol consumption patterns in our region and the most effective policy options to reduce health and economic harms from it. Episode’s expert guest is Håkan Leifman from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

Drinking alcohol at an older age has become a progressively prevalent cultural practice. Heavy episodic drinking is in the rise and hazardous drinking resulting in hospitalisation or death have increased. This policy brief presents five knowledge-based policy recommendations to prevent and care for older people with harmful alcohol consumption patterns.

Tobacco smoking is a major preventable risk for non-communicable diseases. The manuscript published in Tobacco Prevention and Cessation investigates predictors of tobacco smoking among acutely ill patients admitted to a Moscow hospital, and the association between smoking and alcohol use. The Expert Group on Alcohol and Substance Use has contributed to the study.

The use of psychoactive prescription medication is increasing in the general population, which is a cause of concern particularly among older people. The manuscript published in BMJ Open presents the findings of a blood sample analysis that determined the frequency of psychoactive substance use among acutely hospitalised patients. The Expert Group on Alcohol and Substance Use has contributed to the study.

The research review reports key results from three studies applying three different perspectives on alcohol and substance use in older adults. It condenses the experience of the three studies, covering drinking patterns, client profiles in healthcare settings and challenges to home care, into lessons learned.

The manuscript published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence estimates the prevalence of harmful alcohol use in relation to socio-demographic characteristics among acutely ill medical patients, and examines identification measures of alcohol use. The Expert Group on Alcohol and Substance Use has contributed to the study.