title: Alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis mortality after lifting ban on beer sales in country with state alcohol monopoly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objectives were to study alcohol consumption per capita and liver cirrhosis mortality in the population of Iceland.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Statistic Iceland website supplied alcohol sales figures and death rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The alcohol consumption increased 30% during the study period 1982-2009, because of increase in beer and wine, and decrease in spirits consumption. Chronic liver cirrhosis mortality increased significantly for men when comparing the 1982-88 rates (before beer ban was lifted) with the rates for 2003-09.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings do not support the suggestion that spirits consumption rather than the total alcohol consumption affect the cirrhosis mortality.
authors.affiliation: 1 SAA -National Center of Addiction Medicine, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Thorarinn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tyrfingsson
authors.affiliation: 2 The National University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Sigurdur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olafsson
authors.affiliation: 2 The National University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland 3 University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Einar Stefan
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Bjornsson
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland vilraf@hi.is.
authors.forename: Vilhjalmur
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rafnsson
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001515:Beer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology