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On average, 11,3 liters of pure alcohol annually per inhabitant of a country belonging to the EU – according to the report of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), taking into account 52 countries of the world. How much do their inhabitants drink? How often do they get drunk, where are the most addicts? How does this affect life expectancy? And finally, what is the situation like in Poland? Get to know the details.
- According to the report, 30 percent get drunk at least once a month. adults (over 15 years old)
- In OECD countries, 3,7 percent are addicted to alcohol. population – it is about 50 million people
- Every Pole has an average of 11,7 liters of pure alcohol per year, 35% are drunk at least once a month. adults
- By 2050, our life expectancy will be reduced by 1,6 years due to alcohol-related illness and injuries. This is one of the higher ratios
- You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page
OECD report: 30% get drunk at least once a month adults
“Alcohol can be a source of pleasure and is an important part of the economy in many countries. However, its harmful consumption is a major risk factor for premature death, injuries and many non-communicable diseases, ”warns the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its new report on the prevention of harmful alcohol consumption (these are just some of the consequences).
Meanwhile, the study shows that this problem is relatively common – 30% get drunk at least once a month adults (over the age of 15) and one in five adolescents under 15 years of age. Moreover, the report shows that harmful alcohol consumption is common among young adults. Alcohol is drunk over 60 percent. teenagers aged 15, and one in five has experienced alcohol intoxication at least twice.
These are the results of analyzes carried out in 52 countries included in the organization’s report – these are members of the OECD, the European Union and the G20 countries (associating the richest countries in the world, including the US and China). Of course, Poland was also among the countries surveyed – more on how we came out in the rest of the text.
The authors of the document estimate that in 2018 there were 10 liters of pure alcohol per person among the inhabitants of OECD countries – this corresponds to two bottles of wine or almost 4 liters of beer per week. The average for the European Union countries is 11,3 liters per capita, while in the G20 countries it is almost 3,5 liters less – 7,9 liters per capita.
It is worth noting that in all the countries surveyed, men consume more alcohol than women (three times more on average).
Before we get into the details, it’s worth mentioning what is known about alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report shows that during the first lockdown, 43 percent people reported drinking more; 25 percent declared that less often, and 32 percent. did not report any changes in this regard. Due to the economic closure, sales of alcohol in bars and restaurants plunged sharply, but was replaced by an increase in off-premises sales (including online and retail stores).
Alcohol consumption. Countries where you drink the most
Where exactly is pure alcohol consumed? According to the OECD report, the countries where these indicators are the highest include, among others Latvia and Austria.
Source: oecd.org/health/preventing-harmful-alcohol-use-6e4b4ffb-en.htm
In Latvia, there are 12,8 liters of pure alcohol per capita annually (men 20,9 liters; women 6,1 liters). This is equivalent to roughly 2,6 bottles of wine or 4,9 liters of beer per week for a person aged 15 and over. 44% get drunk at least once a month. adults. When it comes to young people, 25% of them have been drunk at least once in their lifetime. boys and 24 percent. girls aged 15.
In Austria, per capita annually is 12 liters of pure alcohol (men 18,5 liters, women 5,8 liters). This is equivalent to roughly 2,5 bottles of wine or 4,6 liters of beer per person per week. 33% get drunk at least once a month. adults. 36 percent boys and 28 percent. girls aged 15 have drunk at least twice in their life.
What about Poland? As the graphic above shows, we are in 10th place in this respect.
- Symptoms of alcoholism
According to the report, 3,7% of OECD countries are addicted to alcohol. population, or about 50 million people. While the average for the European Union countries is similar, for the G20 countries it is 2,9%. In all countries, the incidence of dependence is higher in men than in women. Latvia, Hungary and the Federation stand out against this background. Details are shown in the graphic below.
Source: oecd.org/health/preventing-harmful-alcohol-use-6e4b4ffb-en.htm
Alcohol consumption in Poland. Details of the OECD report
What does the latest OECD report say about Poland? In what amounts do we drink alcohol and what are the consequences of this? The most important information below.
According to OECD analyzes, an average of 11,7 liters of pure alcohol is consumed annually per one Pole. This is equivalent to roughly 2,4 bottles of wine or 4,5 liters of beer per week for a person aged 15 and over. 35% get drunk at least once a month. adults – this means that for one “occasion” we drink over 80 percent. bottles of wine or 1,5 liters of beer.
In terms of gender, men in our country consume 18,4 liters of pure alcohol per capita annually, and 5,6 liters for women. Interestingly, women by 62 percent. they get drunk more often (in a month) if they have a university degree.
When it comes to young people, 17 percent. boys and 21 percent. girls aged 15 have drunk alcohol at least twice in their lives. The authors of the report emphasize that children who have never been drunk have 42 percent better chances of doing well at school.
How might such alcohol consumption affect life expectancy? Analyzes in 52 countries show that overall life expectancy will decline by 2050 years by 0,9. However, the biggest drops are forecast in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. According to estimates, in the next 30 years, our life expectancy will decrease by 1,6 years due to diseases and injuries caused by alcohol consumption. These predictions included drinking one drink a day for women and an average of 1,5 drinks a day for men.
This is a high result (in the chart shown it is the HALE indicator). Only Lithuania (life expectancy will be reduced by 1,9 years) and Our Country (1,7 years) are worse than us. The indicator for Estonia and Latvia is also 1,6 years. Details are presented in the chart below.
Source: oecd.org/health/preventing-harmful-alcohol-use-6e4b4ffb-en.htm
Valuable information on the consumption of alcohol in our country was also brought by the National Test of Poles’ Health 2021 prepared by Medonet (All The Polish National Health Test 2021 can be found here). According to the collected data, 19 percent declare complete abstinence. of us, it is about 8 percent. more than a year ago. As for drinkers – among women this percentage is 76%, and among men – 87%.
Although the number of people using alcohol has generally dropped, at the same time by 1 percent. the daily consumption of this stimulant has increased. Details below.
What alcohol do Poles use most often? For beer – 5 percent consumes every day, 10 percent a few times a week. When it comes to vodka – 5 percent drink it every day. drinking men and 1 percent. women, but 21 percent consume it several times a month. Poles and 8 percent. Polish women.
- What awaits us if we drink alcohol every day for a month? Four main symptoms have been described
How to fight binge drinking: tips and benefits
Based on the data presented, the authors of the OECD report call on governments around the world to step up efforts to combat binge drinking. Investing in strategies to do so could save the lives of millions of people. Additionally, the economic benefits of introducing them would be much higher than the costs.
An estimated $ 16 is returned for every dollar invested in alcohol prevention programs (in terms of economic benefits, excluding alcohol business impact). There are also specific calculations for Poland. According to the report, investing PLN 4,9 per person per year in an extended package aimed at combating harmful alcohol consumption: by 2050 it will prevent 3,9 million cases of non-communicable diseases and injuries, will save PLN 483 million per year in healthcare costs, increase employment and productivity by approx. 46 thousand full-time employees per year.
How can countries, including Poland, deal with harmful alcohol consumption? The authors of the report indicate several solutions, including stricter regulations on alcohol advertising, sponsorship or its exposure at points of sale, alcohol taxation, strengthening screening tests and counseling in primary health care, strengthening controls aimed at preventing driving under the influence.
To control the alcohol content in the exhaled air, buy AlcoTEST at Medonet Market.
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