Search

Aim: To perform an analysis of the perception of alcohol use among workers of the transportation, healthcare and building sectors., Methods: A survey was carried out on alcohol consumption and knowledge of deriving health effects. Socio-demographic characteristics of the workers were collected. Risk indexes for habitual alcohol and binge consumption were calculated., Results: The number of workers entering the survey is 3,914 (57% males; 58% married). Two-thirds of the sample reported good knowledge of alcohol-related risks that could occur at the workplace, and 55% of alcohol-related health risks. Binge drinking is inversely associated with female gender, good perceived health and good knowledge of alcohol-related risks at the workplace and of alcohol-related health risks. People who are single, young and working in the building sector show higher odds for binge drinking. The habitual use is positively associated with marital status (OR=1.51 for single) and working sector (in the building sector OR=3.28; in the healthcare OR=1.90); and inversely associated with good health (OR=0.70), good knowledge of alcohol-related risks at the workplace (OR=0.54) and of alcohol-related health risks (OR=0.41)., Conclusions: Socio-demographic factors, such as age, gender and marital status are associated with different patterns of alcohol consumption, that in turn are inversely associated with good knowledge of alcohol-related risks at the workplace and of alcohol-related health risks. These results suggest the need to increase knowledge of alcohol-related issues among the workers, both at the workplace and in everyday life.

The European Commission has proposed a review of the directive on tobacco products on labeling and packaging of tobacco products by introducing warning text with pictorial warning that occupies 75% of the cigarette packages. The aim of the survey was to assess the impact of plain packaging and pictorial warning in smoking reduction, cessation and initiation among a sample of adult. The cross-sectional study was conducted in Rome between September and November 2012. The questionnaires administered were 227, with a response rate of 82.4%. 35.8% (No. 67) of the respondents considered the image of the gangrene the most effective in communicating smoking-related damages, followed by the image on lung cancer (No. 60; 32.1%). Distinguishing between smokers and non-smokers (both former and never smokers), the picture on lung cancer was the most effective for smokers (No. 22; 38.6%); if cigarette packages have pictorial warnings like the ones shown, more than half (No. 33; 57.9%) of smokers would change brand; 66.7% (No. 38) of them would feel uncomfortable in showing the package. Comparing the 3 packagings, classic packaging, plain packaging with textual warning, and plain packaging with both textual and pictorial warning, the majority of people declared that the third is the most effective in preventing smoking initiation (No. 169; 90.9%), in motivating to quit (No. 158; 84.9%), and in changing smoking habits (No. 149; 80.5%). The survey, although its small sample size and being not representative of all strata of Italian population, shows that the plain packaging with pictorial warning is the most convincing in the three outcomes considered.