People who do not drink can still be harmed by alcohol – ScienceDaily

Much of the research on alcohol-related harms focuses on the harm done to the drinker and not to others. Researchers at the Institute for Therapy Research in Bayern, Germany, estimated the harm done to others by alcohol during pregnancy, traffic accidents and interpersonal violence. The authors conclude that the harmful effects of alcohol on people other than the drinker must be recognized as a public health problem and that effective means of preventing such harm are needed.

Dr. Ludwig Kraus, the corresponding author, said: "This study estimates some of the most serious damage that alcohol consumption can cause to other people than the drinker, namely the syndrome. Fetal alcoholism (FAS), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), road traffic deaths due to drunk driving and deaths resulting from interpersonal violence attributable to the Alcohol. "

The authors found that alcohol was responsible for 1,214 (45.1%) of the road deaths and 55 (14.9%) of the interpersonal violence victims. The authors emphasize that FAS and FASD are not the only possible consequences of alcohol use during pregnancy. Overall, these results indicate that alcohol can not only cause harm to the drinker, but also significant damage to others.

Dr Kraus said: "Although the estimates of the three areas of injury are not directly comparable, the results suggest that alcohol consumption during pregnancy followed by road deaths causes far more harm to the patient. 39, other than alcohol-related violence. "

To investigate the potential harm caused by alcohol to third parties, the authors examined data from a survey of the prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy to estimate the case of FAS and FASD in Germany. Statistics on causes of death provided estimates of the number of traffic deaths and interpersonal violence attributable to alcohol in third parties.

The authors warned that it was difficult to accurately badess the prevalence and extent of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Germany because the data are self-reported and may be vulnerable to bias or memory errors.

Dr Kraus said: "Although measures such as pricing policies or limiting the marketing of alcoholic beverages are unpopular, targeted measures targeting certain at-risk populations, such as women of childbearing age or the road, can help reduce the damage done to others as well as the damage caused. " to the drinker. "

Source of the story:

Material provided by BioMed Central. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.