Young and ‘young old’ people in Italy are exposed to the danger of alcohol abuse. Excessive consumption, outside meals especially, and binge drinking among the teenagers. This is the finding of the Ministry of Health’s report on alcohol and related problems, submitted to Parliament in April 2019. Insight.
Italians and alcohol, less wine and more drinks outside meals
14.3 percent of Italians, more than 8.6 million consumers, are at risk for alcohol. 68 thousand alcohol addicts in the care of alcohol services. 4575 traffic accidents with at least one of the drivers intoxicated, among only those surveyed by Police and Carabinieri. The most at-risk consumers are minors, ages 16 to 17, and adults over 65. Less wine with meals, more alcoholic beverages outside meals. Alcohol consumption has changed for the worse in recent years.
‘The phenomenon related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Italian population, in the most recent years, is definitely showing a new profile compared to the last decades especially if we consider that, against a reduction in the consumption of wine during meals, there is a progressive increase in occasional consumption of alcoholic beverages and outside meals, a condition even more harmful for related pathologies and problems‘. (1)
Over the past ten years, from 2007 to 2017, there has been a decrease in the number of consumers (from 68.2 percent to 65.4 percent) and a decrease in daily alcohol users. However, with an increase in out-of-meal consumption (from 25.6 percent to 29.2 percent) and occasional consumption (from 38.9 percent to 44 percent). Occasional consumption is indeed attributed to the slight increase of alcohol users in Italy in 2017 (from 64.7 percent to 65.4 percent).
Alcohol, consumers at risk in Italy
21.4 percent of Italian consumers–32.2 percent among males and 11.2 percent among females, 11.612 million people in all–take alcohol daily. And two-thirds of daily users (or 14.3 percent of the Italian population, 8.6 million people) are at risk of alcohol-related diseases. With higher hazard profiles in the very young (16-17 years) and ‘young old’ (65-75 years).
‘Verisimilarly due to a lack of knowledge or awareness of the risks that alcohol causes to health, about 700,000 underage and 2,700,000 over 65 are at-risk consumers for alcohol-related diseases and problems, people who are therefore not identified early and who should be made aware of their consumption that is not in accordance with public health recommendations. The prevalence of male at-risk consumers is higher than that of females for all age groups, with the exception of minors, where, however, the differences do not reach statistical significance‘.
Binge drinking, youth alcohol binge drinking
Concerns about alcohol consumption among younger people. Consumption patterns indicate that in 2017 ‘51.5 percent of boys and 45.6 percent of girls aged 11-24 consumed at least one alcoholic beverage during the year.’ In an increase from the previous year. Such criticality, according to the Ministry of Health, ‘suggests keeping a high focus on this segment of the population.’
‘In the 11-24 age group , drinking alcohol outside meals is especially prevalent, with a frequency of at least once a week, this indicates a behavior in alcohol consumption adopted habitually and potentially at risk. Risk behaviors on alcohol consumption in the youth population are particularly prevalent in the 18-24 age group. However, the phenomenon is differentiated by gender; among boys it is about twice as high as among girls. Among risk behaviors in alcohol consumption among young people, binge drinking represents the most widespread and established habit. In 2017, binge drinking affected 17% of 18-24 year olds, of these 22.3% males and 11.5% femalese’.
The WHO, World Health Organization, recommends total abstention from alcohol consumption until the age of 15. The law-in Italy as in other countries-bans selling alcohol to minors. Yet, the most risky behaviors are reported in the 11-17 age group. Particularly among 16- to 17-year-olds, due to uncontrolled alcoholic binge drinking, at discos and parties. ‘Already at this age binge drinking reaches, at 6.9 percent, levels almost equivalent to the population average (v.m. 7.4 percent).’
‘Binge drinking is a pattern of alcoholic beverage consumption that initially developed in Northern European countries and is particularly prevalent among the youth population. The term binge drinking is normally intended to identify a pattern of ‘episodic excessive consumption’ concentrated in a short period of time of alcoholic beverages of any kind in a consecutive manner. In Italy, it has been detected for many years by ISTAT through the Multiscope Household Survey as a consumption of more than 6 glasses of alcoholic beverages (one glass corresponds to a standard UA containing 12 grams of pure alcohol), regardless of gender, concentrated in a single drinking occasion‘.
4 million binge drinkers, ages 11 and older, are registered in Italy. Children, kids, teenagers, the very young. With increase in the adolescent stage and peak between the ages of 18 and 24 (22.3% of boys and 11.5% among girls).
The more educated you are, the more you drink
A paradox that would merit a special sociological investigation is the association between alcohol consumption and educational attainment. Contrary to what one might believe, it is precisely college graduates-especially women-who drink with more growing up with the degree. In short, college graduates, even more so women graduates, tend to drink more. A fad or status that unfortunately reconciles poorly with the risk of alcohol-related illnesses, of which more educated individuals should be more aware.
‘Among people 25 years of age and older, the share of alcohol drinkers increases as educational attainment increases. This is especially the case for women: among those with an elementary school license, 40.9 percent consume alcohol at least once a year, a share that rises to 71.3 percent among college graduates. Gender differences, while persisting, decrease as educational attainment increases, even at the same age‘.
Sabrina Bergamini and Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Report of the Minister of Health to Parliament on the interventions carried out under Law No. 30.3.2001. 125 on alcohol and alcohol-related problems, year 2018, on
http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_pubblicazioni_2844_allegato.pdf
Journalist. Consumption, rights, nutrition, social, environment. Head of Consumers Help. She collaborated with ResetDOC, Il Riformista, La Nuova Ecologia, IMGPress.
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
