Volume of consumption as well as drinking patterns influence harm

Both the volume of alcohol consumption, and the pattern of drinking, influence the harm caused by alcohol. Whereas the volume of consumption is associated primarily with long-term consequences, risky patterns of drinking are mainly associated with acute consequences. Generally speaking (Anderson & Baumberg, 2006; Rehm et al., 2004; Rehm et al., 2003; WHO, 2004c):

• the higher the total volume of alcohol consumption, the greater the risk of harm; and
• the more alcohol consumed on one occasion, the more serious the injury or crime.

Alcohol consumption is related to over 60 medical conditions

For a few conditions low-dose consumption is associated with lower risk

For a limited amount of conditions low-dose drinking is associated with a reduced risk. This balances out to a lower mortality risk in certain age groups at low consumption levels. Men over 35 and women over 65 who consume low amounts of alcohol a day have a lower mortality risk than their compatriots who completely abstain from alcohol use. Lowest mortality risk is seen at consumption levels of about half a glass of alcohol a day (see The positive effects of low-level alcohol consumption).

Europe has the highest rates of alcohol-related harm in the world.

Europe has the highest per capita alcohol consumption and the highest rates of alcohol-related harm in the world (Rehm et al., 2006; Rehn et al., 2001). Taking into account the prevention of deaths by moderate consumption, alcohol causes an estimated 115.000 deaths in people up to the age of 70 each year in the countries of the EU-25 (Anderson & Baumberg, 2006). In 2002 drinking patterns in the European region were detrimental in all countries except the Mediterranean region and some wealthy western countries (Rehm et al., 2006). When measuring the health impact of alcohol for the whole region, an estimated 6.1% of all deaths and 10.7% of all DALY can be attributed to alcohol consumption. An estimated 11.9% of all DALY in men and 1.4% of all DALY in women can be attributed to the disease burden of alcohol in Western Europe and most of the EU (Rehm et al., 2006). This disease burden does not include the social harm experienced by family members of alcohol dependents or by victims of crime and accidents. This type of harm can be huge and can even exceed the health burden in terms of economic consequences (Catalyst, 2001).

Alcohol-related harm relatively high in young people

Alcohol consumption is related to more mortality in young people than it is in any other age group. Research indicates that over 10% of female mortality and 25% of male mortality in those aged 15-29 years is alcohol-related in Western European countries and most EU countries. The social harm experienced by young people due to alcohol has not yet been clearly recorded (Anderson & Baumberg, 2006; Rehm et al., 2006).