Association between alcohol sales and facial fracture rates: an ecological analysis

This study aimed to evaluate national alcohol sales and their association with the number of maxillofacial fractures in Southern Finland.

Patient data of all facial fracture patients admitted to tertiary trauma centers (Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland) from January 2014 to October 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Information on alcohol sales in Finland was obtained from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

The annual number of facial fractures increased, as did the number of facial fractures caused by interpersonal violence. Unexpectedly, we found a mostly inverse association between alcohol sales and facial fractures, although three months were associated positively: April, June, and November.

We conclude that although the significance of alcohol use in the etymology of facial fractures has been unmistakably proven neither population-level alcohol use nor interpersonal violence as an injury mechanism explains the increase in facial fractures. However, there are some associations between the seasonality of alcohol consumption and facial fractures, suggesting the same predisposing factors in both. Further, certain groups of users, exceeding a threshold of alcohol use, appear to be responsible for the traumatic presentations in emergency units. Elucidating the associations between alcohol use and facial fractures requires an assessment of patient-specific factors, rather than population-level alcohol use, for a detailed understanding and justification of alcohol policy.