The effectiveness of alcohol control policies in Europe

This paper examines the relationship between alcohol control measures, alcohol consumption and selected indicators of alcohol related harm in fifteen countries of Europe and in Israel. A public health perspective on alcohol problems is developed in which alcohol related consequences, both positive and negative, are seen as emerging from the interaction of alcohol itself, the individuals who consume it and the physical and social environment. Consequently, a range of alcohol control and prevention measures is examined, some aimed at the availability of alcohol, other at those who drink alcohol and yet other at the environments in which drinking takes place and problems emerge. A rudimentary scale of alcohol control policy is presented, from which a classification of European countries in terms of alcohol control status is possible. Per capita alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis mortality data in these countries are examined cross-sectionally and over time. These indicate that cross-sectionally there is, in general, a clear relationship between the alcohol control status of European countries and both per capita alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis mortality. However, from a time series view there are some interesting exceptions to this general observation. Nonetheless, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that alcohol control and prevention measures are effective at controlling alcohol consumption and preventing the adverse consequences of drinking. Some considerations about alcohol control policy in Europe other than the control of availability are presented.