Jakob Manthey1,2, Charlotte Probst3,4, Carolin Kilian5, Jacek Moskalewicz6, Janusz Sierosławski6, Thomas Karlsson7, Jürgen Rehm5,8,3,9,10,11,12. 1. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany, jakob.manthey@tu-dresden.de. 2. Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany, jakob.manthey@tu-dresden.de. 3. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 4. Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. 5. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. 6. Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland. 7. Department of Public Health Solutions, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland. 8. Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 9. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 10. Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 11. Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 12. Department of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Unrecorded alcohol, that is, alcohol not reflected in official statistics of the country where it is consumed, contributes markedly to overall consumption of alcohol. However, empirical data on unrecorded alcohol consumption are scarce, especially in high-income countries. This study measures the contribution of unrecorded alcohol in 7 member states of the European Union. METHODS: Two categories of unrecorded consumption were assessed in general population surveys (reducing alcohol related harm Standardized European Alcohol Survey; n = 11,224): home-made alcohol and cross-border shopping. Country-specific logistic regressions were used to link respondent characteristics to odds of acquisition of unrecorded alcohol. Total per capita alcohol consumption was estimated under different assumptions of calculating unrecorded alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Individuals with higher drinking levels were more likely to acquire unrecorded alcohol in all 7 countries. In some countries, male sex and more affluent social class were also positively linked to acquisition of unrecorded alcohol. There was a substantial contribution of unrecorded alcohol to overall consumption in 5 out of 7 member states (Croatia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Portugal), but not in Poland or Spain. In Greece, up to two-thirds of all alcohol consumed was estimated to be unrecorded. CONCLUSION: Unrecorded alcohol contributes to overall consumption even in high-income countries, and thus needs to be monitored. In monitoring, as many categories of unrecorded alcohol as possible should be clearly defined (e.g., surrogate alcohol) and included in future surveys.
INTRODUCTION: Unrecorded alcohol, that is, alcohol not reflected in official statistics of the country where it is consumed, contributes markedly to overall consumption of alcohol. However, empirical data on unrecorded alcohol consumption are scarce, especially in high-income countries. This study measures the contribution of unrecorded alcohol in 7 member states of the European Union. METHODS: Two categories of unrecorded consumption were assessed in general population surveys (reducing alcohol related harm Standardized European Alcohol Survey; n = 11,224): home-made alcohol and cross-border shopping. Country-specific logistic regressions were used to link respondent characteristics to odds of acquisition of unrecorded alcohol. Total per capita alcohol consumption was estimated under different assumptions of calculating unrecorded alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Individuals with higher drinking levels were more likely to acquire unrecorded alcohol in all 7 countries. In some countries, male sex and more affluent social class were also positively linked to acquisition of unrecorded alcohol. There was a substantial contribution of unrecorded alcohol to overall consumption in 5 out of 7 member states (Croatia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Portugal), but not in Poland or Spain. In Greece, up to two-thirds of all alcohol consumed was estimated to be unrecorded. CONCLUSION: Unrecorded alcohol contributes to overall consumption even in high-income countries, and thus needs to be monitored. In monitoring, as many categories of unrecorded alcohol as possible should be clearly defined (e.g., surrogate alcohol) and included in future surveys.
Authors: Carolin Kilian; Jakob Manthey; Charlotte Probst; Geir S Brunborg; Elin K Bye; Ola Ekholm; Ludwig Kraus; Jacek Moskalewicz; Janusz Sieroslawski; Jürgen Rehm Journal: Alcohol Alcohol Date: 2020-08-14 Impact factor: 2.826
Authors: Charlotte Probst; Jakob Manthey; Carina Ferreira-Borges; Maria Neufeld; Ivo Rakovac; Diana Andreasyan; Lela Sturua; Irina Novik; Gahraman Hagverdiyev; Galina Obreja; Nurila Altymysheva; Muhammet Ergeshov; Shukhrat Shukrov; Safar Saifuddinov; Jürgen Rehm Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-12-15 Impact factor: 2.692