Search

Inter-cultural comparisons point to associations among aggregate rates of consumption and certain alcohol-related complications, particularly chronic effects, such as liver cirrhosis mortality. Accidental, poisoning and violent incidents are not considered to have as strong an association with societal drinking patterns, since situational, environmental and interactional features contributing to the incident are likely to play a strong role relative to the volume of alcohol consumed. This paper compares annual alcohol consumption rates and male and female mortality rates for liver cirrhosis and 12 main accidental/violent causes of death for Canada, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the US between 1965 and 1987. Using filtering techniques to account for autocorrelation, conservative measures of association were developed. The results indicate that while statistically significant correlations were evident with regard to liver cirrhosis and suicide in some jurisdictions, in most instances the comparisons were not significant. Further work is suggested with regard to the following: utilizing more refined approaches to examine the covariations of casualties and alcohol consumption, and studies combining aggregate level investigations with those focusing at the group or interactional level--in particular those specifying and examining societal norms and risk-taking at the group and sub-population levels.

Aims To provide novel, population-based estimates of the influence of minimum legal drinking age ( MLDA) legislation on target in-patient hospital events in Canada. Design Regression-discontinuity analyses on rates of Canadian in-patient admissions. Setting All in-patient hospitalizations in Canada (except Québec) between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2007. Participants Individuals aged 15-22 years admitted to hospital. Measurements International Classification of Diseases-9/10 codes for alcohol-use disorders/poisoning, injury, suicide, assault and motor vehicle accidents were considered as target morbidity conditions. Findings Compared with the baseline hospitalization rate just prior to the MLDA, admissions at the MLDA rose significantly ( P ≤ 0.001) for alcohol-use disorders/poisoning for males (17.3%) and females (21.1%), as well as for suicide events for the combined sample (9.6%, P = 0.029). Among males, there was a significant 4.4% increase ( P = 0.001) in a broad class of injuries, including a 9.2% jump ( P = 0.020) in admissions for motor vehicle accidents compared with the baseline hospitalization rate just prior to the MLDA. Conclusion Removal of minimum legal drinking age restrictions is associated with significant population-level increases in hospital admissions among young adults in Canada for alcohol-use disorders/poisoning, as well as for other serious injuries, especially among males. Current international minimum legal drinking age policy discussions should account for the impact of the minimum legal drinking age on severe morbidity outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]