title: A pilot feasibility trial of alcohol screening and brief intervention in the police custody setting (ACCEPT): study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is evidence of an association between alcohol use and offending behaviour and around a quarter of police time is spent on alcohol-related incidents. Police custody, therefore, provides an important opportunity to intervene. This pilot trial aims to investigate whether a definitive evaluation of screening and brief interventions aimed at reducing risky drinking in arrestees is acceptable and feasible in the custody suite setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Screening will be carried out by trained detention officers or drug and alcohol workers in four police forces across two geographical areas (North East and South West England). Detention officers (or drug and alcohol workers) will be cluster randomised to one of three conditions: screening only (control group), screening followed immediately by 10 min of manualised brief structured advice delivered by the individual responsible for screening (intervention 1) or screening followed by 10 min of manualised brief structured advice delivered by the individual responsible for screening plus the offer of a subsequent 20-min session of behaviour change counselling delivered by a trained alcohol health worker (intervention 2). Participants will be arrestees aged 18+ who screen positive on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Participants will be followed up at 6 and 12 months post-intervention. An embedded qualitative process evaluation will explore acceptability of alcohol screening and brief intervention to staff and arrestees as well as facilitators and barriers to the delivery of such approaches in this setting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recruitment is currently underway and due to end May 2015.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this pilot trial will determine if a definitive evaluation is possible in the future and will provide stakeholder input to its design.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Reference number: ISRCTN89291046.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Newbury-Birch
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Decision Science, The University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 30 Regent Street, Sheffield, S1 4DA UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ7NZ UK.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coulton
authors.affiliation: Newcastle & North Tyneside Addictions Service, Plummer Court, Carliol Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6UR UK.
authors.forename: Eilish
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gilvarry
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McColl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muirhead
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX UK.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaner
keywords: Alcohol; Behaviour change; Feasibility pilot trial; Police custody; Screening and brief intervention