June 29, 2009
Canadian researchers have published a study in the medical journal Lancet suggesting alcohol plays a much larger role in the death rate than previously believed.
According to researchers at Canada's Center for Addiction and Mental Health, one in 25 deaths are directly attributable to alcohol consumption. This rise since 2000 is mainly due to increases in the number of women drinking.
CAMH's Dr Jrgen Rehm and his colleagues found that alcohol-attributable disorders are among the most disabling disease categories within the global burden of disease, especially for men. And in contrast to other traditional risk factors for disease, the burden attributable to alcohol lies more with younger people than with the older population.
Rehm still takes an optimistic 'glass half full' response to this large and increasing alcohol-attributable burden.
"Today, we know more than ever about which strategies can effectively and cost-effectively control alcohol-related harms," Rehm said. "Provided that our public policy makers act on these practical strategies expeditiously, we could see an enormous impact in reducing damage."
The study showed that Europe had a high proportion of deaths related to alcohol, with one in 10 deaths directly attributable, and up to 15 percent in the former Soviet Union.
Average alcohol consumption in Europe in the adult population is somewhat higher than in North America: 13 standard drinks per person per week compared to North America's 10 to 11 standard drinks. The recent Canadian consumption rate is equivalent of almost 9 standard drinks per person per week age 15 plus, and has been going up, as has high risk drinking. Globally, the average is around 7 standard drinks per person per week, although most of the adult population worldwide actually abstains from drinking alcohol.
Most of the deaths caused by alcohol were through injuries, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver cirrhosis.
"Globally, the effect of alcohol on burden of disease is about the same size as that of smoking in 2000, but it is relatively greatest in emerging economies. Global consumption is increasing, especially in the most populous countries of India and China," the authors wrote.
