Harmful effects of abusive consumption

Assessing the health and social costs

Alcohol-related harm resulting from abuse and misuse is of serious concern. Harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption is one of the main causes of premature death and avoidable disease. One in four deaths among young men (aged 15-29) and one in ten deaths among young women is related to harmful use of alcoholic beverages. Causes of death include road traffic accidents, injuries, violence and liver disease.)It is the net cause of 7.4% of all ill-health and early death in the EU and impacts negatively on labour and productivity (Rehm J. et al, 2003, Anderson P. et al, 2006,).

Alcohol abuse has also been associated with a range of long-term chronic diseases that reduce the quality of life. These include hypertension, cardiovascular problems, cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol dependence, various forms of cancer, alcohol-related brain damage and a range of other problems (Standridge J. et al 2004).

Heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages in pregnant women can cause malformations of the embryo and their offspring may exhibit symptoms of foetal alcohol syndrome. Thus, it is recommended to avoid alcoholic beverages during pregnancy (Tsai J. et al, 2007).

In addition to health issues resulting from excessive alcohol consumption, there are social consequences, both for the drinker and for others in the community. The consequences include harm to family members (including children), to friends and colleagues as well as to bystanders and strangers, i.e. people being harassed by intoxicated individuals. Alcohol misuse also affects professional lives, with nearly 5% of men and 2% of women in the EU-15 reporting a negative impact of alcohol on their work or studies (Anderson P. et al, 2006).

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