title: Italy between drinking culture and control policies for alcoholic beverages.
abstract: This paper focuses on whether the on-going dramatic decrease in alcohol consumption in Italy, especially of wine, during 1961-2008, was associated with which parallel sociodemographic and economic changes and with alcohol control policies. The study, using both time series (TS) and artificial neural network (ANN)-based analyses documents that its selected sociodemographic and economic factors, and particularly urbanization, had a definite connection with wine consumption decrease, spirits decrease, and the increase in beer consumption over time. On the other hand, control policies showed no effect on the decline in alcohol consumption, since no alcohol control policy existed in Italy between 1960 and 1987. A few policies introduced since 1988 (BAC and sale restrictions during mass events) may have contributed to reducing or to maintaining the on-going reduction. Study limitations are noted and future needed research is suggested.
authors.affiliation: 1Agenzia Regionale di Sanità Toscana , Firenze , Italy.
authors.forename: Allaman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allamani
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Voller
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pepe
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baccini
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massini
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cipriani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D001515:Beer; D003469:Culture; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D015438:Health Behavior; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012067:Religion; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014920:Wine
keywords: alcohol control policies; alcoholic beverage as symbol; artificial neural network analysis; sociodemographic and economic factor; time series analysis