More on alcohol

Note that the following countries were neither picked as being representative nor randomly. Rather, they are the ones that have often been cited in conversations that I’ve had. All the data comes from two WHO reports: ‘Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004‘ and ‘Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence‘.

United States

1. Minimum drinking age (MDA): 21
2. Heavy episodic drinkers (5 or more drinks on one occasion at least once in the past month) among youths (>20): 10.7%
3. Heavy episodic drinkers among male adults: NA
4. Heavy drinkers among male adults who drink: 6.4%
5. Alcohol dependence or abuse among male adults: 10.8%

France

1. MDA: 16
2. Heavy episodic drinkers (5 or more drinks on one occasion three times or more in the past month) among youths (>20): 12%
3. Heavy episodic drinkers among male adults who drink: 27.9
4. Heavy drinkers among male adults who drink: 16.6%
5. Alcohol dependence among male adults: 13.3%

The United Kingdom

1. MDA: 18
2. Heavy episodic drinkers (5 or more drinks on one occasion three times or more in the past month) among youths (>20): 30.0%
3. Heavy episodic drinkers among male adults: 24.0%
4. Heavy drinkers among male adults who drink: 39.0%
5. Alcohol dependence among male adults: 7.5%

As usual, there are difficulties with comparing data from different countries, thanks to different definitions and so forth. I have tried to indicate important such differences by using italics above. Note that in both relevant cases, taking these different definitions into account ends up putting the U.S. into even more favourable light (e.g., #5 for the U.S. and France or #2 for all three countries).

What’s the point? Well, people who are trying to convince me that lowering the MDA will reduce binge drinking and other such vices will need to find better examples than France and the United Kingdom.

Four more data:

1. Deaths among Europeans aged 15-29 for which alcohol was responsible in 1999: over 55, 000
2. WHO estimate for number of deaths caused by alcohol globally in 2002: 1.8 million
3. Alcohol’s contribution to the global burden of ill health in 2000: 4.0%
4. Tobacco’s contribution to the global burden of ill health in 2000: 4.1%

Somehow we manage to be a great deal more concerned about smoking around here than about drinking. Then again, practical rationality and consistency are perhaps not humanity’s strengths.

Sydney