On the website of the 6th Inebria Conference you’ll find all the relevant information (call for abstracts, programme, venue, registration and hotel accommodation) you might need to join us in Newcastle/Gateshead, UK. In this flyer you’ll also find a summary of all the information.

Please remember that abstracts should be submitted online by 12th June, 2009.

For queries and additional information about the 6th INEBRIA Annual Conference, please contact Janice Armstrong or Kat Jackson at inebria2009@newcastle.ac.uk.

We look forward to receiving your abstracts and your registrations.

PROJECT ON EIBI

Early identification and Brief Advice in the Amphora project.

AMPHORA, a four-year, €4million project co-financed by the 7th framework programme of research of the European Commission, with 33 partner organizations from 14 European countries, started at the beginning of 2009.

The project aims to pool European knowledge across a wide range of public health alcohol policy measures, and to disseminate this knowledge to those engaged in making policy. By enhancing cooperation among researchers and advancing research in Europe, AMPHORA will provide new scientific evidence for the best public health measures to reduce the harm done by alcohol. AMPHORA is coordinated by the “Hospital Clinic i Provincial de Barcelona” (HCPB) in Spain.

One of the nine work packages coordinated by Professor Colin Drummond of the National Addiction Centre, Kings College London will address three clear gaps in considering the contribution of early identification, brief advice, and management of alcohol use disorders as public health measures in reducing the harm done by alcohol. The first is the extent to which interventions of known effectiveness are accessed by the in-need population. A needs assessment study in England found that only 1 in 18 (5.6%) of alcohol dependent drinkers actually accessed treatment each year, with regional variation from 1 in 102 to 1 in 12. Similarly, several studies have shown that only a small minority of hazardous and harmful drinkers who could benefit from brief interventions were identified or offered help. Clearly, an increase in access to intervention could have a major public health impact. Secondly, it is important to identify the facilitators and barriers to implementation of early diagnosis and advice programmes, which are likely to vary from one country to another across Europe. Factors are likely to include national and local policy, practitioner attitudes and training, administrative factors, and patient attitudes. A comparative study of these factors across European countries with different levels of implementation could lead to guidance on optimal implementation methods. Thirdly, a clear demonstration of the cost effectiveness of interventions across European countries could provide a rationale for appropriate spending levels to support more widespread implementation. For further information, please contact Colin Drummond.