Substance Use Resources for Health Care Professionals
Reduce the Risk
Substance use resources offer support for individuals across the substance use spectrum providing lifelong care that does not presume illness, similar to the ways that we address mental and physical health. Lambton Public Health provides access to a wide range of services to reduce the risk of substance-related harms and other health issues, as well as a compilation of resources to support you having conversations with patients.
Alcohol
Questions about alcohol use can be integrated into routine lifestyle questions. All patients, even if they report drinking only small amounts, should be informed that any amount of alcohol can be harmful and any reduction in use can benefit health. Screening tools and brief interventions can be used with patients if you suspect they might be experiencing challenges with their alcohol use.
Screening Tools:
• AUDIT-10 (10-item Interview version and Self-Report Version)
• (4-item questionnaire)
• SAMI (Senior Alcohol Misuse Indicator Tool)
Brief Intervention:
• Knowing Your Limits with Alcohol: A Practical Guide to Assessing Your Drinking (printable workbook)
• Motivational Interviewing – Alcohol (video and transcript)
• Brief Interventions for Harmful Alcohol Use
Guidance:
• Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health
• Rethink Your Drinking
• Women and Alcohol
Referral & Treatment Resources:
• CCSA Downloadable Resources Related to Alcohol
• Alcohol Use Disorder Tool
• Canadian Guideline for the Clinical Management of High-risk Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder
• Canadian Guidelines on Alcohol Use Disorder for Older Adults
• Clinical Best Practice Guidelines: Engaging Clients Who Use Substances
Cannabis
Asking patients about cannabis is use is important to be able to share lower risk guidelines, determine if there are indications for cannabis use disorder, and share resources.
Brief Intervention:
• Canada’s Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines for Adults
• Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines for Youth
Referral and Resources:
• CAMH
• CCSA Downloadable Resources Related to Cannabis
• CUDIT-R Cannabis Use Disorder Test
Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines:
• Guidelines for Older Adults
• Guidelines for Adults
• Guidelines for Youth
Opioids and Other Illicit Substances
Illicit drug use can impact all aspects of a person’s life and some are impacted more than others because of the social determinants of health. Non-judgmental care and warm referrals to low barrier services can help connect patients with support and improve health outcomes.
Harm Reduction Program
LPH provides access to a range of non-judgmental services to help reduce the risk of blood-borne infections, overdose, and other health issues. For information on these programs and services visit: Harm Reduction Program – Overdose Kits, Syringes, Sharps Box, Condoms
Naloxone Distribution
Interested in collaborating with LPH to deliver naloxone training and distribute kits to Lambton residents? Send an email to Lambton’s Harm Reduction team at LPHHarmReduction@county-lambton.on.ca to learn more.
Naloxone Training Guide
Unused or Expired Medication and Sharps Disposal
Properly disposing of medications and medical sharps can protect household members and the public from harm. Please use the resources below with patients when educating on proper disposal.
• How to Safely Dispose of Sharps and Pharmaceuticals
• I Found a Sharp, Now What?
• LPH Community Sharps Disposal Bin Locations
• Lambton County Sharps Disposal Locations (Pharmacy)
Low Barrier Treatment Services
Offering patients treatment options that have low or no barriers to access is an effective way to engage them with health services and helps to reduce the harms they experience from use. Including the Lambton Public Health Harm Reduction Clinic, local services such as Bluewater Health Community Addiction Support Services and the Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic quickly links patients with the supports they need in their own journeys.
Tobacco
All patients who smoke should be encouraged to quit and offered support for quitting on every encounter with a health care professional. Sharing lower-risk guidelines and quit resources is a key step to reducing the significant harms of smoking tobacco.
Tobacco Screening & Assessment:
• CAMH Smoking Cessation Toolkit
Lower-Risk Use Guidelines:
• Lower Risk Nicotine Use Guidelines
Tobacco Referral & Resources:
• Lambton Public Health Quit Smoking Supports
• Smokers’ Helpline
Vaping and Nicotine Products
Asking patients about their use of e-cigarettes/vapes is important to create the opportunity to share health impacts of e-cigarettes and the latest guidance. This information will support your conversation with patients that currently smoke or vape, dual-users (tobacco & e-cigarette), and non-smokers.
Vaping Resources
• Summary of Recommendations – Health Impacts of E-Cigarettes (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH))
• Vaping Cessation Guidance Resource
• Patient Resources
• Vaping E-Cigarette Evidence-Informed Guidance on Harms and Benefits
• Summary of Recommendations – Health Impacts of E-Cigarettes
• Vaping Cessation Guidance Resource
• Health Canada – Consider the Consequences of Vaping (youth)
• QUASH – Youth Vaping Cessation
Quit Smoking/Vaping Support in Lambton