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Spain is one of the countries of the European Union in which alcohol consumption has decreased in the past decades. The aim of this paper is to distinguish different phases of the level of alcohol consumption in Spain since 1990. Adult alcohol consumption per capita data between 1990 and 2019 were analysed for temporal trends using the Joinpoint regression model. An additional analysis using interrupted time-series between 1962 and 2016 was performed using data from Global Information System on Alcohol and Health. Data from the survey on alcohol and other drugs in Spain were collected and a narrative review was conducted to identify possible reasons for the trends found. Five point changes were identified on the timeline between 1990 and 2019, including: a decrease of 3.2% per year from 1990 to 1995, an increase of 1.1% per year from 1995 to 2000, a period of stability from 2000 to 2006, a decrease of 4.5% per year from 2006 to 2011, and a period of stability from 2011 onwards. These changes can largely be explained by the different public health measures carried out by the Spanish government, as well as the change in the pattern of consumption in society, which shifted its alcoholic beverage preference from wine to beer, and increased its binge-drinking behaviour. Further studies such as interrupted time-series analyses should test if indeed the hypothesized measures on public health have been effective; this could inform future policies in Spain and in other countries.

This paper presents a strategic analysis of the prevention of the harm caused by alcohol in Spain. The alcohol action plan of the European Office of the WHO offers a guide for the development of the most effective control policies. Following its scheme, the current situation and the prevention policies are reviewed with data available in 2020. Strategies and key actions for the future are proposed, considering as major goals to curb the early abuse of alcohol by adolescents and to reduce the risk consumption of the population at large. Besides helping persons with abuse criteria from health services, key actions for prevention include public policies such as fiscal, marketing and availability regulations, and drink driving measures. Some have followed a favorable evolution in Spain, but for others there is wide room for improvement.

This work places in context Spain's recent update of the defined limits for low risk alcohol consumption to 20g/day for men and 10g/day for women, and summarises data on the impact on individual health and the social costs of alcohol consumption. Furthermore, it considers the challenges that arise related to awareness of the risks of alcohol consumption, in the general population and among health professionals. The paper also reviews the implications of the new definitions in relation to the most effective policies for reducing alcohol-related harm. It looks at this from a public health perspective with particular emphasis on how to seize the opportunity to better promote the implementation of strategies for early identification and brief interventions in primary care in this country.

Objective: To evaluate preventive interventions on alcohol consumption has been long recommended in Spain. The impact evaluation of structured programs and specific actions for the prevention and treatment of alcohol consumption (PAPTCA) would allow making better informed decisions on public health financing based on the efficiency criteria. To the best of our knowledge, there is no scientific document that illustrates the situation of the PAPTCAs' evaluation in Spain. This paper aims to classify and describe PAPTCAs in Spain, focused on their impact evaluation and information on financing for accountability to society., Methods: A systematic literature review of the PAPTCAs implemented in Spain, from 2000 till 2017, at regional (autonomous communities) and local level was carried out, and a descriptive analysis of the PAPTCA database obtained from the literature review was carried out., Results: 145 structured programs and 45 specific actions were identified. Only 25% of structured programs provided an impact evaluation, besides, only 15% presented some information about their financing. Regarding the specific actions, the numbers were less encouraging where 10% provided an impact evaluation while a similar figure of PAPTCAs showed financing information., Conclusions: There is a need to systematize the information of the PAPTCA that serves as an instrument to conduct impact evaluations in Spain. This should ease the scarce presence of evaluative culture in this area and promote the accountability of resources spent on public health to society.

Introduction: This paper describes the presence of alcohol in the public space, assessing establishments that offer it, its advertising, and signs of consumption, as factors that may influence its consumption., Method: Descriptive observational study based on cluster sampling with two-step selection. Results are described, and the spatial association between variables is assessed., Results: In the 20 census tracts studied, 306 premises were identified that offered alcoholic beverages: 204 were on-premises and 102 were off-premises, mainly supermarkets and food retail stores. Their spatial distribution was uneven, concentrated in two central districts. We identified 72 publicity items, mostly sponsorship of musical events. There were many promotional items linked to on- premises, especially in their terraces. Five people were detected promoting consumption or selling alcohol in the Old Town. In each time slot, between 39 and 51 signs of consumption on the public space were observed (mostly abandoned beer cans), more frequent at night and in the Old Town. There is an association between the presence of establishments that offer alcohol and advertising. There is no relationship between these variables and signs of consumption in the public space; these are concentrated in the Old Town, which has greater presence of tourism., Conclusions: The urban environment is characterized by elements that stimulate alcohol use and its distribution is uneven, with a strong influence of tourism-related activities. Further regulation of alcohol promotion, availability and consumption in the public space may change its social image and decrease its use.

Alcohol consumption is highly prevalent in university students. Early detection in future health professionals is important: their consumption might not only influence their own health but may determine how they deal with the implementation of preventive strategies in the future. The aim of this paper is to detect the prevalence of risky alcohol consumption in first- and last-degree year students and to compare their drinking patterns.Risky drinking in pharmacy students (n=434) was assessed and measured with the AUDIT questionnaire (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). A comparative analysis between college students from the first and fifth years of the degree in pharmacy, and that of a group of professors was carried to see differences in their alcohol intake patterns.Risky drinking was detected in 31.3% of students. The highest prevalence of risky drinkers, and the total score of the AUDIT test was found in students in their first academic year. Students in the first academic level taking morning classes had a two-fold risk of risky drinking (OR=1.9 (IC 95%1.1-3.1)) compared with students in the fifth level. The frequency of alcohol consumption increases with the academic level, whereas the number of alcohol beverages per drinking occasion falls.Risky drinking is high during the first year of university. As alcohol consumption might decrease with age, it is important to design preventive strategies that will strengthen this tendency.

This study aimed to contrast student and not student outcome expectancies, and explore the diversity of alcohol-related cognitions within a wider student sample. Participants (n=549) were college students (higher education-typically aged 15-18 years), university students (further education-typically aged 18-22 years) and business people (white collar professionals <50 years) who completed questionnaires in their place of work or education. Overall positive expectancies were higher in the college students than in the business or university samples. However, not all expectancy subcategories followed this pattern. Participant groups of similar age were therefore alike in some aspects of their alcohol-related cognitions but different in others. Similarly, participant groups whom are divergent in age appeared to be alike in some of their alcohol-related cognitions, such as tension reduction expectancies. Research often homogenises students as a specific sub-set of the population, this paper hi-lights that this may be an over-simplification. Furthermore, the largely exclusive focus on student groups within research in this area may also be an oversight, given the diversity of the findings demonstrated between these groups.

The informal social control over alcohol consumption that was traditional in Southern European countries has weakened. At the same time there is an increase in binge drinking and drunkenness among young people in Spain. To mitigate this problem, regulations on alcohol and driving and restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol have been adopted. This paper documents the current regulations in the city of Barcelona and describes efforts to enforce them and their outcomes. Data from the municipal information systems on infringements reported for the period 2008-13 are provided. There is an increasing pressure of municipal services to enforce the rules in two areas: a) alcohol sales at night (retailers); and b) consumption in the public space (citizens). An increase in the controls of drink-driving has also taken place, and the proportion above legal limits has decreased. The largest relative increase occurred in the control of retailers. In Barcelona interventions are made to limit the supply and consumption of alcohol at low cost and during the night, and of driving under the influence of alcohol. There have been no documented episodes of massive drinking in public spaces (known as 'botellón') in the city. These actions, which complement other preventive efforts based on health education, can change the social perceptions of alcohol by minors in a direction less favorable to consumption, promoting environmental prevention.

For more than two years, Corporación Nuevos Rumbos (Colombia) has been carrying out, in eight Colombian communities, a preventive system called Comunidades Que se Cuidan (CQC), an adaptation of Communities That Care (CTC), created at the University of Washington (Seattle), developed for more than 25 years in the United States of America and implemented in eight countries of America, Oceania, and Europe. The system is based on the public health approach, and the social development strategy for community empowerment. The core idea is to teach communities how to make decisions based on data regarding drugs and alcohol consumption and the identification of protective and risk factors, on the basis of the original survey validated in Colombia: these will allow communities to choose the best preventive interventions, tailored for each of them according to their needs. This paper describes the process of implementation of CQC in Colombia, its differences with CTC, the creation of Colombian cut-points, the main difficulties and how these were solved. CQC seems to be a preventive system with a wide potential applicability in other Latin American countries.

The impact on health of alcohol in a given society is mainly related with the volume and pattern of drinking, and these are related with individual factors, but also with environmental factors, among which public policies are important determinants. Public policies may favour or reduce alcohol use, and thus have a substantial preventive capacity. The effectiveness of policies to prevent the harm caused by alcohol has been reviewed in recent documents, which provide evidence to extract recommendations. This paper reviews the most effective policies to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, with an emphasis in the use of taxes to increase its cost, availability regulation, and policies on drinking and driving. The regulation of alcohol promotion and publicity is also assessed, as well as the detection and treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence. The state of alcohol related policies in Spain is analysed, as well as the obstacles, for the adoption of policies more prone to prevention, and recommendations for the future are made.

Based on the review of scientific papers and institutional reports on the subject and analysis of some secondary data, we assess the alcohol-related harm in Spain between 1990 and 2011. In 2011 they could be attributable to alcohol, 10% of the total mortality of the population aged 15-64, and about 30% of deaths due to traffic accidents. Among the population aged 15-64 years at least 0.8% had alcohol use disorders, an additional 5% could have harmful alcohol consumption that would need clinical evaluation, and about 20% had had some acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) in the last year. The AAI accounted for approximately 0.5-1.1 % of hospital emergency visits. Social costs of alcohol could represent 1% of gross domestic product. The prevalence of alcohol-related harm was significantly higher in men than women, with a male/female ratio greater than three for alcohol-related mortality and serious injuries, and this situation has hardly changed in the last 20 years. Alcohol-related harm has followed a downward trend, except for AAI. In 1990-2011 the standardized mortality rates related to alcohol decreased by half. Large gaps in knowledge and uncertainties on alcohol-related harm in Spanish population, clearly justify the institutional support for the research in this field and the implementation of a comprehensive monitoring system.

The aim of this paper is to describe the available methods to quantify the main health and social harms related to alcohol consumption in the population and to provide recommendations to improve research on these issues. Methods using individual and aggregate level data for the study of the relationship between alcohol consumption and related harms are taken into account, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Methodological aspects to quantify the magnitude and trends of alcohol-related and alcohol-attributable mortality, including alcohol dependence, acute intoxication, injury, violent behavior, disease burden and social costs are widely considered. There are often discrepancies between the study results mainly due to the difficulty of adequately measuring alcohol consumption and its relationship to health conditions. In the future we must strengthen research on the effect of drinking patterns and context in chronic diseases using appropriate controls, clarify the relationship of alcohol use disorders and other mental disorders , improve the measurement of alcohol intoxication when acute problems occurs, periodically quantify the disease burden and social costs attributable to alcohol (using country- specific attributable fractions) and develop valid and comparable methods and indicators for monitoring alcohol-related harm.

This paper aims to examine the socio-economic determinants of alcohol-impaired drinking in Spanish adolescents. In particular, we are interested in analysing the impact of the family and school environment. To do it, we used the Spanish Survey on Drug Use in the School Population for the year 2008, carried out by the Spanish Government’s Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs. This survey with 30,183 students between 14 and 18 years of age (M = 15.6; SD = 1.17) constitutes a representative sample of the Spanish student population. Of these, 6.7% reported having driven under the influence of alcohol, this behaviour being more frequent among boys (10.6%) than girls (2.9%). Logistic regressions reveal that informative campaigns at school could significantly reduce the likelihood of alcohol-impaired driving (OR = 0.82), especially among males (OR = 0.73) and among younger students (OR = 0.66). Our results also suggest that although parents’ education has no significant impact, parent’s alcohol abuse increase notably the probability of driving after drinking (OR = 2.22 for mothers and OR = 2.81 for fathers).

Alcohol consumption is often associated with violence against women. The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between alcohol and other relevant variables in the intervention with men convicted of intimate partner violence, both at the individual and contextual spheres. Clinical symptomatology, Drug abuse, Impulsivity, Self-esteem, Assumption of responsibility, Intimate support perception, Social rejection perception, Accumulation of stressful life events, Income perception and Social support in community are assessed in a sample of 291 participants in an intervention program for men condemned for intimate partner violence. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlations and ANOVAs. Statistically significant differences were obtained among Risk consumers and Not risk consumers in Clinical symptomatology, Drug abuse, Impulsivity, Self-esteem and Attribution of blame to personal context as individual variables and Intimate support perception, Social rejection and Accumulation of stressful life events as contextual variables. Results of previous work are confirmed and the importance of considering social factors in the participants' environment when considering decreasing alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence is demonstrated. New tools for enhancing interventions in rehabilitation programs with men convicted for violence against women is provided.

Introduction: Monitoring health-related behaviors in adolescence requires instruments capable of providing valid data The objective of this paper is to review and assess existing information sources on smoking and alcohol and cannabis use by age and sex among adolescents in Spain., Methods: A search was carried out for studies with repeated observations over time, and their methods and characteristics reviewed. For each study, the number of surveys, their frequency and their sample size are assessed, as well as the instrument used, the available indicators, and the availability, accessibility and comparability of the information., Results: Five sources of information providing data over extended periods of time with accessible data are identified: the National survey on drug use in secondary-school children (Encuesta estatal sobre uso de drogas en estudiantes de secundaria; ESTUDES); the Health behavior in school-aged children study (ECERSHBSC); the Monitoring system for risk factors associated with non-transmissible diseases in young people (Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo Asociados a Enfermedades No Transmisibles dirigido a poblacion juvenil; SIVFRENT-J); the Study of risk factors in secondary school children (Estudio de factores de riesgo en estudiantes de secundaria; FRESC); and the Monitoring study of health behaviors in adolescents (Estudio de monitorizacion de las conductas de salud de los adolescents; EMCSAT). Two of the surveys cover the whole of Spain, one is regional, and two are city-specific. All use solid methods and representative sampling techniques. In some, changes have occurred that make comparison of the evolution of some indicators difficult. Report accessibility is variable; comparability is limited for some surveys. Some provide almost no stratified data., Conclusions: There are valuable sources of data, but all have shortcomings. Changing the measurement instrument in a survey for comparison with others raises dilemmas as to the internal comparability of series.

This paper is aimed mainly at making researchers in the field of drug addictions aware of a methodology of data analysis aimed at knowledge discovery in databases (KDD). KDD is a process consisting of a series of phases, the most characteristic of which is called data mining (DM), whereby different modelling techniques are applied in order to detect patterns and relationships among the data. Common and differentiating factors between the most widely used DM techniques are analysed, mainly from a methodological viewpoint, and their use is exemplified using data related to alcohol consumption in teenagers and its possible relationship with personality variables (N=7030). Although the overall accuracy obtained (% correct predictions) is very similar in the three models analyzed, the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique generates the most accurate model (64.1%), followed by Decision Trees (DT) (62.3%) and Naïve Bayes (NB) (59.9%).

The main aim of this paper is to analyze the relationships of involvement in the "botellon" (meetings of youth in public places to drink, chat, etc.) with alcohol/other drug abuse and vandalism in young people. A school survey was performed in centres of Compulsory Secondary School (E.S.O.), high school, professional training and University education in Lugo, NW Spain. The sample (aged 12 to 30) was split into three groups according to alcohol use and botellon involvement; drug abuse, drug-related problems and vandalism were assessed in each group. Results indicate that regular botellon attendants display more problems with alcohol and other drugs, as well as higher involvement in vandalism; this relationship is stronger among young students. The increase in adolescent risk associated with the practice of the botellon is explained by peer group pressure to use drugs and the greater accessibility of alcohol/other drugs in these contexts.

This paper presents some of the main parameters in the behaviour pattern of young people in their binge drinking practices, seeking to improve the somewhat inaccurate view emerging from field studies. A total of 4083 questionnaires were administered to young people in Valencia aged 14-25 during the academic year 2005/2006, from a random sample of schools and other educational institutions. The survey was conducted in the institutions themselves and participation was anonymous and voluntary. The findings confirm a progressive reduction in the age at which this practice begins, 13 having been the starting age for those adolescents who are currently 14 years old. Likewise, the results contradict the assertion that binge drinking is practised mainly by boys, as it is found to an equal extent in either sex. The European trend towards radicalisation of consumption is also confirmed: a considerable increase in the use of drinks with high alcohol content regardless of age and gender, resulting in mean blood alcohol levels of 1.5 gr. twice a week on average for more than 6 months a year. All of this is commonly combined with a misleading perception of the effects of alcohol consumption, the positive aspects being overestimated. These results underline the need to design selective or even indicated prevention programmes for approximately 20% of the most extreme cases, with a view to overcoming the current constraints of universal prevention. Nor should interventions overlook the issue of parental permissiveness--reflected in aspects such as early age of onset of binge-drinking or lack of controls on the time young people come home after partying.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption among the insured population of Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Social Security Institute, IMSS)., Material and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 45,117 insured subjects from Mexico's 36 political districts; study subjects were interviewed using a structured and self-applied questionnaire on alcohol consumption, using the ten-item screening instrument AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test). The first three questions refer to the amount and frequency of drinking, the following three question to alcohol dependence, and the last four to alcohol-related problems. Each item has three to five options and each is scored progressively from zero to four. The prevalence of alcohol consumption was estimated with 95% confidence intervals., Results: The prevalence of problem drinkers (hazardous and harmful) was 12.8% (IC 95% 12.5-13.2); it was higher in men (22.2%; IC 95% 21.7-22.8) than in women (3.4%; IC 95% 3.1-3.6). An age effect was observed in men, while in women alcohol consumption was more homogeneous. In both genders consumption was higher in productive-age groups., Conclusions: The prevalence of hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption is high in the insured population of the IMSS in Mexico. There is a need to implement health policies and health programs to diminish this serious health problem. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.

Objective: To assess the relationship between alcohol use expectancies, drinking patterns, and alcohol-related problems, among college students in Mexico City., Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in October 1998. Study subjects were 678 male and female college students aged between 17 and 25 years, from private and public schools. Alcohol expectancies were measured through the self-reported "Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire" (AEQ), adapted for this population, with a high overall internal reliability coefficient (alpha = 0.93)., Results: Thirty-one per cent of study subjects, mainly males, reported heavy drinking (5 drinks or more per drinking occasion in the previous year), while 17% were non-consumers. Relationships for each of the AEQ scales, drinking patterns, and alcohol-related problems, were analyzed through a structural equations model. Analysis of variance showed a statistically significantly association between six AEQ subscales--alcohol as a facilitator of a group interaction, verbal expression, disinhibition, sexual enhancement, reduction of psychological tension and arousal aggression-(F = 5.23, df = 1, p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Study findings from other countries show that effects attributed to alcohol, in anticipation of the drinking episode (expectancies), are closely related to alcohol intake. Our results showed that heavy drinkers had higher scores in six AEQ subscales, particularly those who reported having alcohol-related problems in the previous year. Alcohol expectancies related to higher alcohol intake were: facilitation of social interaction, decreasing psychological tension, and increasing arousal/aggression. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.

Background: Because adolescence is the stage during which most people begin their drug use, we wanted to investigate adolescent's use of and attitudes towards drugs. This paper aims to describe prevalence of students (14-18 years old) drug use in the city of Terrassa (Spain) for the school year 1994-1995., Methods: A school survey was carried out for a representative sample of 1,269 students. A questionnaire was developed following W.H.O. guidelines. It includes information on demographic characteristics, legal and illegal drug use, information and attitudes towards drugs, and other related factors., Results: Thirty seven percent smoked within the last 30 days, and 60% drunk alcohol. Thirty-two percent had been drunk at least once. Cannabis was the most widely used drug (25.9%) followed by hallucinogens (7.2%), tranquillizers (4.4%), inhalants (4.3%), amphetamines (4%), cocaine (1.7%) and heroin (0.2%). The prevalence for the use of cannabis within the last 30 days was 11%, and around 1% for the use of all other drugs within the same period of time. Increased drug use was observed with age. No differences among sexes were observed for prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use, although boys showed a more intensive pattern. For the other drugs, higher prevalence was observed in the male population except for tranquillizers whose use was more prevalent among women., Conclusions: The high prevalence of drug use observed, suggest the need to introduce more extensively programs for the prevention of drug use, beginning in primary school.

Background: The aims of this paper are twofold: to closely study tobacco and alcohol consumption among the adult population in the Autonomous Community of Murcia and to observe the relation between such habits and the morbidity of the population polled., Methods: We study 1,128 patients admitted to the Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital, the centre of reference in this Community, in 1992. The survey is done in all the hospital departments on patients and eighteen years and over., Results: 37.4% of the persons polled are smokers, and 67.4% consume alcohol. The prevalence of smokers decreases with age: 57.4% of the patients aged under 30 years are smokers, compared to 14.7% of those aged over 70 years. The prevalence of tobacco-related malignant tumours is 0.6% in the non-smokers, and 8.0% in the smokers and ex-smokers with a consumption of more than 10 cigarettes/day. The prevalence of malignant tumours in the digestive organs is 7.9% in patients consuming alcohol daily and 1.8% in non-drinkers., Conclusions: We note a decrease in tobacco consumption in the patient population, which is in line with the decrease in tobacco consumption in the general population of Spain as stated in the literature. Wine is the preferred drink of the study population overall, and beer in those aged under fifty years.

The life habits of 358 males abstemious (ABS) and 248 male risky or with harmful alcohol consumption (BRD) are compared; selected from the patients attending to a clinic of familiar medicine, of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) and to General Hospital of the Secretaria de Salubridad y Asistencia (SSA). BRD are different from ABS because of a sedentary life, tobacco consumption, higher frequency of other drug use, poor nutrition, over weighted and poor physical condition. The difference between ABS and BRD is not only due to the alcohol consumption and related problems, but two groups of individuals with different ways of life. The present paper shows the first Mexican results of an International Multicentric Investigation coordinated by World Health Organization (WHO).

The harmful use of alcohol is a major risk factor for the global burden of disease, and public policies are the most effective strategies to prevent it. Population-based surveys are milestones for planning, implementing, and monitoring those policies. However, there are numerous ways to measure alcohol consumption which may result in different indicators. Researchers and stakeholders should find common ground in the understanding of these measures to avoid misinterpretation and confusion in the field. Answering to the “Five W’s Epidemiology”, when interpreting alcohol-related information, may improve the communication, as well as reproducibility and comparability of research findings. This paper aims to exemplify this approach by describing some indicators from the World Health Organization’s Global Information System on Alcohol and Health (GISAH) and the corresponding data available from the latest Brazilian household surveys. Notably, none of the Brazilian surveys reports on all the nine selected GISAH indicators, and only two provided the necessary methodological details to be fully reproducible. A stronger agenda is of the utmost importancefor advancing in the monitoring and prevention of alcohol-related harms in Brazil.

The paper assesses blood alcohol concentration and risk behaviors for traffic accidents before and after the implementation of a law which prohibits the use of alcoholic beverages on city gas stations. In Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, young people go out at night and drive to gas station convenience stores to buy alcoholic beverages which are consumed on the premises of parking lots in gas stations. Data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires and breath analyzers in two cross-sectional collections with purposive samples of youngsters in May and July 2006 (n=62, and n=50, respectively). There were no significant differences between the groups before and after the city law was passed. Blood alcohol concentration greater than 0.06% was found in 35.5% of pre-law group and 40% of post-law group (p=0.62). Results point out heavy alcohol use in both groups, which did not change after the law was passed.En el artículo se analizaron la alcoholemia y los comportamientos de riesgo de accidentes de transito en jóvenes antes y después de la implementación de la ley que prohíbe el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas en puestos de gasolina. En Puerto Alegre (Sur de Brasil), los jóvenes acostumbran salir de noche y conducir hasta las tiendas de conveniencia de puestos de gasolina para comprar y consumir bebidas alcohólicas en los estacionamientos dentro de los puestos. Los datos fueron obtenidos de encuestas auto-aplicables y alcoholímetro en dos colectas transversales realizadas con jóvenes, abordados en mayo y julio de 2006 con muestreo intencional (n=62 y n=50, respectivamente). No hubo diferencia significativa entre los grupos entrevistados. Alcoholemia > 0,06% fue encontrada en 35,5% y 40% de los individuos antes y después de la ley, respectivamente (p=0,62). Los resultados señalan el uso pesado de alcohol en ambos grupos, inalterado por la implementación de la ley.No artigo foram analisados a alcoolemia e comportamentos de risco para acidentes de trânsito em jovens antes e depois da implementação de lei proibindo o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas em postos de gasolina. Em Porto Alegre (RS), os jovens costumam sair à noite e dirigir até lojas de conveniência de postos de gasolina para comprar e consumir bebidas alcoólicas nos estacionamentos dentro dos postos. Os dados foram obtidos de questionários autoaplicáveis e bafômetro em duas coletas transversais realizadas com jovens, abordados em maio e julho de 2006 com amostragem intencional (n=62 e n=50, respectivamente). Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos entrevistados. Alcoolemia >0,06% foi encontrada em 35,5% e 40% dos indivíduos antes e depois da lei, respectivamente (p=0,62). Os resultados apontam o uso pesado de álcool em ambos os grupos, inalterado pela implementação da lei.

O texto analisa o processo de alcoolização em populações indígenas do Alto Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brasil. Baseando-se num enfoque compreensivo sobre o que se bebe, como se bebe e quando se bebe, a etnografia privilegia o estudo do contexto sócio-cultural e histórico no qual se dá o consumo de álcool e a interpretação nativa sobre a questão; discute as transformações históricas nas formas de beber e suas correlações com as permanências e mudanças da vida social. Conclui que as formas atuais de consumo de álcool estão ligadas à adoção de comportamentos e valores engendrados na fronteira das relações interétnicas e às ressignificações da cultura tradicional que hoje enfrenta dificuldade para oferecer parâmetros para a ação e para a simbolização da vida social pelas gerações mais jovens, frente aos desafios do mundo contemporâneo.This paper analyzes the development of alcoholism among Indian peoples in the Upper Rio Negro, Amazonas State, Brazil. Based on a comprehensive approach to what, how, and when individuals drink, this ethnography emphasizes the socio-cultural and historical context in which alcohol is consumed and interpretation of the issue by Indian people themselves. The article discusses historical transformations in the forms of drinking and their correlations with the status quo and changes in social standards of living. The article concludes that current forms of alcohol consumption are linked to the behaviors and values emerging on the frontier of interethnic relations and the resignification of the traditional culture, currently experiencing difficulties in offering parameters for action and symbolization of social life by the younger generations as they deal with challenges from the modern world.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar el riesgo para el uso excesivo de etanol en personas con historia familiar positiva de consumo de alcohol (HF+). MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Los datos corresponden a una muestra de población general (n= 8 890) y fueron recopilados a partir de una encuesta nacional de adicciones en población urbana de México, realizada en 1988. Se determinaron medidas epidemiológicas de frecuencia y asociación considerando los antecedentes de HF+ como factor de exposición. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia actual del consumo consuetudinario de alcohol fue de 13.7% para los hombres y 0.6% para las mujeres, las cifras para el síndrome de dependencia fueron 9.9% para hombres y 0.6% para las mujeres. Los hombres con HF+ tienen dos veces más probabilidad de desarrollar el síndrome de dependencia que aquellos con HF-. La razón de momios en el grupo de mujeres fue de 1.27. CONCLUSIONES: Se observaron patrones diferenciales por sexo en la transmisión de problemas de consumo. El consumo de los padres representa un factor de riesgo importante para el desarrollo del síndrome de dependencia de los hijos. El texto completo en inglés de este artículo está disponible en: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.htmlOBJETIVE: To assess the risk for alcohol abuse among individuals with a positive family history of alcohol abuse (FH+). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population was a sample (n=8 890) drawn from a 1988 national survey on addictions in Mexico City's urban population. Data analysis consisted of frequency and association measures, using family history of alcohol abuse as the exposure factor. RESULTS: Prevalence of heavy drinking was 13.7% for males and 0.6% for females. Alcohol dependence syndrome was found in 9.9% of males and 0.6% of females. Men with HF+ were twice more likely to develop dependence syndrome than HF- males. The odds ratio for women was 1.27. CONCLUSIONS: Differential patterns by gender were found for familial transmission of alcohol abuse; parental alcohol intake is a main risk factor for developing alcohol dependence syndrome. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html

This paper presents an assessment of alcohol consumption, including the popular Mexican liquor tequila, in relation to the incidence of gastric cancer. We conducted a population-based case-control study in Mexico City, with 220 gastric cancer cases and 752 population-based controls. A food frequency questionnaire was used to measure consumption of alcohol and other dietary items. Grams of ethanol were estimated by the Food Intake Analysis System 3.0 software. After adjustment for known risk factors, wine consumption was positively associated with the risk of developing gastric cancer (OR = 2.93; CI 95% 1.27-6.75) in the highest category of wine consumption, corresponding to at least 10 glasses of wine per month, with a significant trend (p = 0.005). This association remained among intestinal (OR = 2.16; CI 95% 0.68-6.92, p-value for trend = 0.031) and diffuse (OR = 4.48; CI 95% 1.44-13.94, p-value for trend = 0.018) gastric cancer cases. A borderline significant trend between GC risk and total ethanol intake was observed (p = 0.068). Consumption of beer and distilled alcoholic beverages including brandy, rum, and tequila was not associated with GC risk. The results indicate the need to focus on the study of the potential effects of different types of wine, with emphasis on components other than ethanol regarding the incidence of gastric cancer, even among populations with moderate to low levels of alcohol consumption.

This paper presents an assessment of alcohol consumption, including the popular Mexican liquor tequila, in relation to the incidence of gastric cancer. We conducted a population-based case-control study in Mexico City, with 220 gastric cancer cases and 752 population-based controls. A food frequency questionnaire was used to measure consumption of alcohol and other dietary items. Grams of ethanol were estimated by the Food Intake Analysis System 3.0 software. After adjustment for known risk factors, wine consumption was positively associated with the risk of developing gastric cancer (OR = 2.93; CI 95% 1.27-6.75) in the highest category of wine consumption, corresponding to at least 10 glasses of wine per month, with a significant trend (p = 0.005). This association remained among intestinal (OR = 2.16; CI 95% 0.68-6.92, p-value for trend = 0.031) and diffuse (OR = 4.48; CI 95% 1.44-13.94, p-value for trend = 0.018) gastric cancer cases. A borderline significant trend between GC risk and total ethanol intake was observed (p = 0.068). Consumption of beer and distilled alcoholic beverages including brandy, rum, and tequila was not associated with GC risk. The results indicate the need to focus on the study of the potential effects of different types of wine, with emphasis on components other than ethanol regarding the incidence of gastric cancer, even among populations with moderate to low levels of alcohol consumption.Para determinar o papel do consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, incluindo tequila, sobre incidência de câncer gástrico (CG), foi realizado um estudo caso-controle de base populacional na Cidade do México, com 220 casos de CG e 752 controles. Um questionário de freqüência alimentar foi empregado para medir o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e outros itens da dieta. O consumo de etanol (gr) foi estimado usando-se o software Food Intake Analysis System 3.0. Após ajustamento por fatores de risco conhecidos, consumo de vinho esteve associado positivamente com o risco de desenvolver CG no estrato de maior consumo, ao menos dez copos de vinho mensais (OR = 2,93; I.C. 95% 1,27-6,75), p

This paper presents an assessment of alcohol consumption, including the popular Mexican liquor tequila, in relation to the incidence of gastric cancer. We conducted a population-based case-control study in Mexico City, with 220 gastric cancer cases and 752 population-based controls. A food frequency questionnaire was used to measure consumption of alcohol and other dietary items. Grams of ethanol were estimated by the Food Intake Analysis System 3.0 software. After adjustment for known risk factors, wine consumption was positively associated with the risk of developing gastric cancer (OR = 2.93; CI 95% 1.27-6.75) in the highest category of wine consumption, corresponding to at least 10 glasses of wine per month, with a significant trend (p = 0.005). This association remained among intestinal (OR = 2.16; CI 95% 0.68-6.92, p-value for trend = 0.031) and diffuse (OR = 4.48; CI 95% 1.44-13.94, p-value for trend = 0.018) gastric cancer cases. A borderline significant trend between GC risk and total ethanol intake was observed (p = 0.068). Consumption of beer and distilled alcoholic beverages including brandy, rum, and tequila was not associated with GC risk. The results indicate the need to focus on the study of the potential effects of different types of wine, with emphasis on components other than ethanol regarding the incidence of gastric cancer, even among populations with moderate to low levels of alcohol consumption.