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International Trends in Alcohol Consumption: A Report on a Symposium

NCJ Number
119494
Journal
Contemporary Drug Problems Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1988) Pages: 685-716
Author(s)
M E Hilton; B M Johnstone
Date Published
1988
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This article describes the proceedings of a symposium on international trends in alcohol consumption held in June 1988 in Berkeley, California and reports the results of a survey of the 22 participant countries on the issues of consumption and distribution; rates, treatment, and social handling of alcohol-related problems; and alcohol control policy.
Abstract
Among the survey findings, it was reported that many countries believe it is important for researchers and policy-makers to monitor alcohol consumption. Some industrialized countries reported that alcohol consumption had stabilized or declined in recent years, while some developing countries reported increases in alcohol consumption. The consumption of alcohol by women has increased in developed and developing countries, and some countries reported changes in the kinds of alcoholic beverages consumed by young people. Several countries reported changes in the handling of drunk driving violations and the increased use of outpatient care to treat alcohol-related problems. Alcohol control policies include restricting advertising, health warnings on beverage containers, and government monopolies on sales. One-third of the participating countries reported explicit policies for reducing alcohol consumption. Appendix lists conference participants. 26 references.