Why has alcohol consumption declined in countries of southern Europe?
Abstract
Alcohol consumption seems to be decreasing in the traditional wine countries of southern Europe. This paper describes the evolution of alcohol consumption over the last 30 years in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. For this purpose, data on alcohol production and per capita alcohol consumption in southern Europe are examined, and their reliability discussed. To analyse alcohol‐related mortality, liver cirrhosis death rates are also reviewed. Since 1980 overall alcohol production has increased by 10%, while wine production has decreased by 13%. The consumption of pure alcohol equivalent per capita has continually decreased, from a peak of 14 litres per year in 1974 to 10.4 litres in 1992. The reduction is dramatic for wine (42.3%) and slight for spirits (4.7%), while beer consumption has grown by 36.6%. These data seem to confirm a European trend towards the homogenization of drinking patterns. Marketing factors, public health policies, the evolution of prices and taxation, European Union agricultural policies, a growing awareness of public opinion about the toxicity of alcohol and competition from non‐alcoholic drinks are all factors that may partially explain these observed changes.
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Since the 1970s, improvements in alcohol quality and a reduction in alcohol consumption have been the major determinants of the steady decline in cirrhosis mortality in Western European countries.
“Since the 1970s, improvements in alcohol quality and a reduction in alcohol consumption have been the major determinants of the steady decline in cirrhosis mortality in these countries [5,36–39].”
From Liver cirrhosis mortality in 187 countries between 1980 and 2010: a systematic analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [37]
The high liver cirrhosis death rates in Moldova and Hungary may be largely attributable to widespread consumption of highly hepatotoxic home-brewed fruit-based alcoholic beverages in these countries.
“This may be largely attributable to widespread consumption of highly hepatotoxic home-brewed fruit-based alcoholic beverages in these countries [5,36–39,52–54].”
From Liver cirrhosis mortality in 187 countries between 1980 and 2010: a systematic analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [37]
The decline in liver cirrhosis mortality in Western Europe, particularly Spain, France and Italy, is due to a steady decrease in alcohol consumption, accompanied by improvement in wine quality and restrictions on home-brewed alcoholic beverage making.
“The decline in liver cirrhosis mortality in Western Europe, particularly in Spain, France and Italy, is undoubtedly due to a steady decrease in alcohol consumption, accompanied by an improvement in the quality of wine and restrictions on home-brewed alcoholic beverage making [5,36–39].”
From Liver cirrhosis mortality in 187 countries between 1980 and 2010: a systematic analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [37]
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Liver cirrhosis mortality in 187 countries between 1980 and 2010: a systematic analysis
Mokdad, A. A., Lopez, A. D., Shahraz, S., Lozano, R., Mokdad, A. H., Stanaway, J., Murray, C. J., & Naghavi, M. (2014) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-014-0145-y · Cited by 1,129 · see citing works
- Authors
- GUAL, A., & COLOM, J.
- Affiliations
- Generalitat de Catalunya (ES)
- Corresponding author
- GUAL, ANTONI
- Venue
- Addiction
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1997-06
- Volume
- 92
- Issue
- s1
- Pages
- S21-31
- ISSN
- 0965-2140 (ISSN-L)
- 1360-0443
- OpenAlex
- W2018636473
- Cited by
- 104
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Addiction (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Keywords
- alcohol consumption trends, Southern Europe, beer consumption, spirits consumption, alcohol-related mortality, liver cirrhosis, alcohol taxation, alcohol prices, public health policy, EU agricultural policy, non-alcoholic beverages, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain
- MeSH terms
- Alcohol Drinking, France, Greece, Humans, Italy, Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic, Portugal, Spain
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