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Abstract
With the continued increase in substance use, drug and alcohol related problems are invariably encountered in general health care settings. It would seem appropriate that specialist liaison services be developed within these settings in order to facilitate early intervention and treatment. This paper describes a 6-month nurse liaison service carried out by the author on a medical ward at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff in 1997. The account describes how the service was set up and implemented, the number of referrals, degree of drug and alcohol related problems encountered and the interventions initiated for the patient contacts.