Alcohol, violence and injury prevention

1
Alcohol, violence and injury prevention

• Hedda Bie
• Violence and Injury Prevention
• WHO Regional Office for Europe
• NordAN Conference 2008

2
Injuries are the third leading cause of death in
Europe, killing 800 000 people every year

• For every fatal injury, an estimated 30 people
  are hospitalized and 300 require outpatient
  treatment in hospital emergency departments

3
If all countries had the same death rates as the
safest 500,000 lives could be saved

• People in low- and middle-income countries are at
  4 times more likely to die from injuries than
  people in high-income countries
• The achievements of the high-income countries,
  which are among the safest in the world,
  indicates that closing this gap IS possible.

• Standardized mortality rate from all injuries in
  the WHO European Region for both sexes, 2002

4
The cost of injuries to society is enormous

• The health care cost of injuries is estimated at
  189 billion (Range 81-296 billion)
• Societal costs are huge and have only begun to be
  mapped out
• - estimates available for mostly road traffic
  injuries, amounting to ca. 2 of national GDP
• - for violence, only a few studies are
  available. In the United Kingdom, societal costs
  of domestic violence were estimated at nearly
  33 billion per year (1.9 UK GDP).

5
Alcohol Consumption Current Tendencies

• The WHO European Region is the region with the
  highest alcohol intake in the world
• Patterns of alcohol consumption differ between
  countries
• Northern patterns of binge drinking spreading
  south
• Risky drinking in females increasing
• Drinking in children also increasing

6
Alcohol is implicated in 40-60 of injuries and
violence in the region

• Alcohol
• increases the risk of unintentional injury
• Increases the risk of being a victim and
  perpetrator of violence reduced self-control and
  recognition of warning signs
• complicates assessment and management of injured
  patients
• increases trauma recidivism
• complicates the outcome from trauma
• Violence increases risk of alcohol problems

7
Interventions to reduce alcohol-related
violence

• Reduce access, regulate sales, restrict
  advertising and taxation
• Increasing the price of alcohol
• 1 gt in pure alcohol price, 5 lt in intimate
  partner violence
• 10 gt in beer price, 4 lt in number of students
  involved in violence
• 10 gt in beer price, 2 reduction in child abuse
• Price increases sharp fall in violent assaults
• Modifying drinking settings, improve night-time
  environment
• Screening and brief interventions, pre and post
  natal care, parenting training and home
  visitation

8
Policy Framework

• WHA 56.24 on Implementing the World report on
  violence and health (2003)
• WHA 57.10 on Road safety and health (2004)
• UN Resolutions on road safety (2004 and 2005)
• Children Environment and Health Action Plan RPG
  2 Reduction of injuries (2004)
• European Alcohol Action Plan 2000-2005
• Resolution RC55/R9 on Prevention of injuries in
  the European Region (2005)
• Communication from the Commission on Actions for
  a safer Europe (2006) and EU Strategy to reduce
  alcohol related harm (2006)

9
Thank you for the attention! http//www.euro.who.
int/violenceinjury