The Value of Brief Intervention to Prevent and Decrease Nicotine, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use among Adolescents

Onset of nicotine and tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use is most likely to occur during adolescence. Effective, evidence-based interventions to prevent or reduce substance use for adolescents are not widely available. This paper reviews the existing literature on the delivery of the Brief Negotiated Interview (BNI) during routine medical visits to reduce substance use, with evidence of effectiveness for adolescents in general and for those at increased risk due to other social factors (e.g., foster care). BNI typically takes 5–15 min to deliver, making it highly versatile for use across medical, school-based, and other community settings that work with adolescents. BNI significantly decreases substance use in the short term (e.g., 1–2 months post-intervention), although long-term effects are minimal. The brief effects of reduced substance use, however, cannot be overlooked as part of a larger programmatic focus on reducing adolescent substance use. Policy implications, including the importance of the United States Preventive Services Task Force and of billing and reimbursement policies for behavioral health services, are discussed.