Discussing alcohol: strategies and return-on-investment of implementing alcohol measurement and brief advice in Latin America

Alcohol consumption is expected to increase in the Latin American region in the following decade, making research regarding ways to promote a reduction of alcohol consumption at the population level highly relevant and timely. This thesis contributes to a better understanding of how alcohol measurement and brief advice – an alcohol control strategy that has been shown to be clinically- and cost-effective - can be implemented and scaled up, by focusing on the example of three Latin American countries: Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. For this, we explored 1) whether community support can play a role in supporting the implementation of alcohol measurement and brief advice, and 2) the needed financial investments and expected financial returns of scaling up an alcohol measurement and brief advice programme at the country level. Based on the research done in 58 primary health care centers in six municipalities, the thesis showed that scaling up alcohol measurement and brief advice has the potential to be a cost-effective alcohol prevention intervention. Its adoption and maintenance can be aided by the provision of community support. The results are relevant for research and practice, by bringing a contribution to enhancing alcohol management in Latin America.