**1.5 ASSIST-linked brief intervention for harmful substance use**

While it is clear that brief interventions are effective in substance use, it appears that implementation within health settings may be hindered by a number of barriers. These include lack of time, lack of staff, knowledge and skills to conduct the screening and intervention [31]. To combat these identified limitations, ASSIST-linked BI was developed by the WHO [35]. It is a short but structured and less time-consuming intervention. It is linked to the score from the ASSIST screening questionnaire via the use of the ASSIST feedback report card, which records the participants' ASSIST scores and presents the risks associated with the participants' current pattern of substance use. Then a discussion to commence BI with the client in a non-confrontational way to change their substance use as per ASSIST score (moderate or high risk group). The ASSIST-linked BI is a short intervention lasting 5–15 minutes given to clients. It is a simple, less time-consuming, step-by-step approach to motivate clients to reduce their substance use and produces very little resistance or client defensiveness. It is based on components of BI from the FRAMES model and motivational interviewing [33, 34].
