Alcohol

Nordic Alcohol Policy Report was launched in 2014 when Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network (NordAN) opened this website focusing on alcohol related issues in Nordic and Baltic countries. The aim was to make available most recent and updated information. This report is supposed to be a living document which gets regular updates as new developments and changes take place. At first it focused only on alcohol but other drugs were included since 2019.

The Nordic and Baltic region has been an exciting laboratory for everyone interested in alcohol research and policy. With Nordic countries, we have a long and effective experience with WHO recommended alcohol policies and with that one of the lowest alcohol consumption and harm rates in Europe. Baltic countries, understanding the different situation they are coming from, has had one of the highest consumption rates in Europe and thus also in the world and has also struggled with introducing actual alcohol strategies. Within the last few years, a significant change has taken place, and Lithuania and Estonia have adopted new regulations that are now showing the way to rest of Europe. Latvia is also planning further changes that include stronger alcohol advertising limits etc.

Various developments push and pull our countries between the interests of public health and different economic benefits. Here we lay out some of the main comparisons between Nordic and Baltic countries. In more details you can find from various chapters of each country report.

Intro

Alcohol-attributable fractions, road traffic crash deaths in 2016 (%)

The alcohol-attributable fraction (AAF) denotes the proportion of a health outcome which is caused by alcohol (i.e. that proportion which would disappear if alcohol consumption was removed).

Population-attributable fractions are calculated based on the level of exposure to alcohol and the risk relations between consumption and different disease or injury categories. For each disease the exact proportion is different and will depend on the level and patterns of alcohol consumption, and on the relative risks.

Source: WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository (European Region)

Alcohol-attributable fractions, liver cirrhosis deaths in 2016 (%)

Alcohol-attributable fractions, cancer deaths in 2016 (%)

Alcohol-attributable fractions, all-cause deaths in 2016 (%)

Alcohol dependence (15+), 12 month prevalence (%) in 2016

Adults (15+ years) who are dependent on alcohol (according to ICD.10: F10.2 Alcohol dependence) during a given a calendar year, Numerator: Number of adults (18-65 years) with a diagnosis of F10.2 during a calendar year. Denominator: Midyear resident population (15+ years) over the same calendar year. UN World Population Prospects, medium variant.

Method of estimation:
Using the algorithms specified in the validated instruments, presence or absence of alcohol dependence can be determined. Data on the prevalence of people with alcohol dependence were modelled using regression models. Where available, the original survey data were used instead of the predicted estimates. The regression models used data collected through a systematic search of all survey data (from 2000 onward) and took into account per capita consumption, population structure, the size of Muslim population within the country, the region of the country, and the year from which the survey data were obtained.

Source: WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository (European Region)

Alcohol use disorders (15+), 12 month prevalence (%) in 2016

It is important to grasp the extent of the health consequences related to the consumption of alcohol in a population. Alcohol use disorders comprise an array of disorders attributable to alcohol and therefore reveal an important proportion of a population which suffers from the direct impact of alcohol.

Adults (15+ years) who suffer from disorders attributable to the consumption of alcohol (according to ICD-10: F10.1 Harmful use of alcohol; F10.2 Alcohol dependence) during a given calendar year. Numerator: Number of adults (15+ years) with a diagnosis of F10.1, F10.2 during a calendar year. Denominator: Midyear resident population (15+ years) over the same calendar year. UN World Population Prospects, medium variant.

Learn more about Method of estimation: WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository (European Region)

Harmful use (15+), 12 month prevalence (%) in 2016

Using the algorithms specified in the validated instruments, presence of absence of harmful use of alcohol can be determined. Data on the prevalence of people with harmful use of alcohol were modelled using regression models. Where available, the original survey data were used instead of the predicted estimates. The regression models used data collected through a systematic search of all survey data (from 2000 onward) and took into account per capita consumption, population structure, the size of Muslim population within the country, the region of the country, and the year from which the survey data were obtained.

Learn more about Method of estimation: WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository (European Region)