title: Epidemiology and alcohol policy in Europe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe three aspects of the epidemiology of alcohol-attributable deaths in Europe, dose, demography and place, and to illustrate how such knowledge can better be used to inform alcohol policy formulation and implementation.
  
  
  METHODS
  epidemiological and population health modeling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on country-specific aggregate statistics.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  country-specific adult per capita consumption triangulated with survey data; outcomes: mortality statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The absolute risk of dying from an alcohol-attributable disease and injury (accounting for a protective effect for ischaemic diseases) increases with increasing daily alcohol consumption beyond 10 g alcohol per day, the first data point. Over 2/3 of all alcohol-attributable deaths occurring amongst the 20-64 year old population of the European Union (minus Cyprus and Malta) occur in the 45-64 year olds. About 25% of the difference in life expectancy between western and eastern Europe for men aged 20-64 years in 2002 can be attributed to alcohol, largely, but not exclusively, as a result of differences in heavy episodic drinking patterns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Any reduction in the dose of alcohol consumed, at least down to 10 g/day, will reduce the annual and lifetime risk of an alcohol-related death. There is a need for alcohol policy to focus on measures in reducing alcohol consumption, throughout middle age, with immediacy of impact. Policy should strive to reduce alcohol-related health inequalities, with the specific recommendations for policy depending on the cost-effectiveness of interventions related to the epidemiological profile of the country or region under consideration. Fortunately, there are evidence-based policy options that reduce the amount of alcohol consumed and many alcohol-related harms with immediate effect, that reduce the risk of an alcohol-related death in middle age, and that would help to close the health gap between eastern and western Europe.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiological Research Unit, Technische Universität Dresden, Klinische Psychologie and Psychotherapie, Dresden, Germany. mail: jtrehm@aol.com
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rehm
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zatonksi
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000401:mortality*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011640:Public Policy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol