About this resource:

Systematic Review

Source: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Last Reviewed: November 2018

Workgroups: Maternal, Infant, and Child Health Workgroup, Substance Use Workgroup

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for unhealthy alcohol use in adults age 18 years or older, including pregnant people, in primary care settings. USPSTF also recommends providing brief behavioral counseling to people who take part in risky drinking behaviors. In addition, USPSTF found insufficient evidence to assess whether the benefits of this type of screening and behavioral counseling outweigh the harms in adolescents ages 12 to 17 years.

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Objectives related to this resource (5)

Increase abstinence from alcohol among pregnant women — MICH‑09
Little or no detectable change
Reduce the proportion of adolescents who drank alcohol in the past month — SU‑04
Baseline only
Reduce the proportion of people under 21 years who engaged in binge drinking in the past month — SU‑09
Baseline only
Reduce the proportion of people aged 21 years and over who engaged in binge drinking in the past month — SU‑10
Baseline only
Increase the proportion of adults who get recommended evidence-based preventive health care — AHS‑08
Little or no detectable change

Suggested Citation

1.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2018). Final recommendation statement: Unhealthy alcohol use in adolescents and adults: Screening and behavioral counseling interventions. Retrieved from https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/unhealthy-alcohol-use-in-adolescents-and-adults-screening-and-behavioral-counseling-interventions