[Epidemiology of alcohol and its sequelae in Switzerland]

5 to 7% of adults in Switzerland are consumers of health damaging quantities of alcohol, and some 10% are drinkers at elevated risk of becoming alcoholics. The 7% of the adults who are the heaviest drinkers account for about half of the total alcohol consumed in Switzerland. Among middle-aged men and women, alcohol-related diseases are among the leading causes of hospitalisation in medical departments. About 100 deaths per year are due to causes related to alcoholism. Alcohol consumption at all levels is markedly elevated in the French- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. These observations lead to a preventive strategy, in which preventive support of at-risk drinkers at the worksite and by the personal physician plays an important role; special efforts are indicated in the western and the southern part of the country.