Tobacco- and alcohol-attributable mortality and years of potential life lost in Germany.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the ages of death caused by tobacco smoking and alcohol risk drinking.


METHODS
Smoking rates from the largest population survey, alcohol drinking data from the National Health Survey and data from the vital statistics from Germany are used and attributable fractions computed.


RESULTS
Alcohol-attributable deaths occurred at the youngest age, followed by tobacco- plus alcohol-attributable cases, whereas death cases attributable to tobacco smoking only occur latest.


CONCLUSIONS
The overlap in the two substance-use behaviours has to be taken into account when considering attributable mortality data.
John
Ulrich
U
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Medical Faculty, Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Germany. ujohn@uni-greifswald.de
Hanke
Monika
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000401:mortality*; D014798:Vital Statistics