East–west disparities in alcohol-related harm

AbstractIntroductionThe aim of this article was to provide more insight into the role of alcohol in the east–west disparities in mortality against other socio-economic factors, and to trace and compare mortality trends in Poland to the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Western Europe (EU15) and Belarus, to understand persisting health inequalities across Europe better.MethodsThe paper uses mostly data from the Health for All Data Base (HFA) and European Detailed Mortality Database (EDMD). The WHO Global Health Observatory (GHO) data repository was used to calculate unrecorded alcohol consumption. In particular, life expectancy and standardised mortality rates per 100000 inhabitants aged 25–64 for circulatory system disease, chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis and external causes of injury and poisoning were analysed. Long-term trends of more than 30 years were used. For the presentation of trends, a three-year moving average was adopted.ResultsSince the 1970s, life expectancy in EU15 has remarkably increased compared to other parts of Europe. At the beginning of 1970s it was only 2–3 years longer than in Poland or the Baltic Republics. Recently, life expectancy for men in EU15 is 11 years longer than in Belarus, 6–10 years than in Baltics and 5 years than in Poland. Also other indicators confirm a health gap such as diseases of the circulatory system, chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis and injuries and poisoning due to alcohol.ConclusionsEast–west economic and social inequalities that make the physical and social environment less safe for both sober and intoxicated individuals, particularly from highly marginalised social segments, have reinforced the existing health gap