According to official figures, Great Britain is not the drinking capital of Europe.
In terms of alcohol consumption, the UK is in the middle, behind France and Germany.
A report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that Britons drank 9.7 liters of pure alcohol per adult in 2020 – 0.1 less than the EU average.
This was equivalent to about nine pints of low-strength beer or six tall glasses of wine a week.
Official data has shown that the UK actually ranks behind France and Germany in terms of alcohol consumption
Drink consumption has declined in most countries, including the UK, over the past decade. Alcohol sales per adult fell by 4 per cent in the UK
Latvia had the highest rate with 12.1 liters per adult over the year, while France drank 10.4 and Germans 10.6.
However, the data also showed that the UK lagged behind Europe on several other health outcomes.
As in most countries in the EU, healthcare spending in the UK has soared in the wake of the pandemic – albeit more than most countries and to a much higher total than average.
The difference is mainly due to “strong growth in spending” on PSA and Covid testing, the OECD said.
Meanwhile, the NHS has fewer doctors per capita than most of Europe, data showed.
The OECD and the European Commission’s Health at a Glance: Europe 2022 report compared the total amount of pure alcohol sold to people aged 15 and over in countries across Europe.
It compared 2010 totals to 2020 or the nearest annual data available for each country.
The Czech Republic was the second best drunk country after Latvia in 2020, drinking an average of 11.6 liters per year.
Lithuania (11.4 litres), Austria (11.3) and Bulgaria (11.2) follow.
In comparison, the lowest percentage was recorded in Turkey, which as a Muslim majority country has a lower drinking culture, where only 1.2 liters were sold per person.
Alcohol consumption has declined in most countries, including the UK, over the past decade.
Ukraine saw the biggest drop from 7.8 liters per person in 2010 to 5.7 in 2019 – before the start of the Russian invasion – a drop of 37 percent.
It is followed by Greece (32%), the Netherlands (26%) and Spain (26%).
Alcohol consumption fell by 4 percent in the UK.
Latvia recorded the largest increase (19 percent), followed by Malta and Bulgaria (both 13 percent) and Norway (11 percent).
The report says: “Many European countries have introduced a range of measures to limit alcohol consumption, including taxes, restrictions on the availability of alcohol and bans on alcohol advertising.
“But its effectiveness is hampered by poor implementation on the ground and limited resources.”
Brits are told to drink no more than 14 glasses a week on a regular basis – the equivalent of six pints of lager, or 10 small glasses of wine. The data showed that most people drank more on average.
Americans are recommended to drink no more than 14 small cans of beer a week for men and seven small glasses of wine for women.
Long-term drinking increases the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, liver disease and cancer.
Environmentalists last month called for a “green tax” on spirits to curb sales and reduce the impact on the ecosystem.
Britain had the highest drop in electoral operations in Europe during the Covid pandemic
The United Kingdom also saw a significant decrease in most cancer-related operations, while only Romania saw a greater decrease in protectomies
More than 30 per cent of people over 65 with a chronic condition canceled or rescheduled a doctor’s appointment in the UK in the first year of the pandemic, more than in Germany, Norway, Sweden, France and Switzerland
Despite the UK’s relatively positive drinking statistics, OECD data also showed the country lagging behind most other health indicators in Europe on other post-pandemic health indicators.
Cancer-related operations fell by 26 percent from 2019-2020 in the first year of Covid.
This was worse than any other country in Europe except Romania, which saw a 30 percent drop.
The UK also saw the biggest drop in election activity as it was suspended for longer than other countries, said Stefano Scarpetta, director for employment, labor and social affairs at the OECD.
Hip replacement surgeries have fallen by 46 per cent in the UK, compared to an EU average of 14 per cent.
Knee replacements dropped a whopping 68 percent, while cataract surgeries fell 47 percent.
The drop was partly caused by a staffing crisis, as the UK has just three doctors per 1,000 people, compared to an average of four in the EU.
The OECD said: “The biggest obstacle to the rapid increase in the number of activities has been the health workforce.
“Current employees are incentivized to work harder and longer, but this has limits and carries the risk of burnout and termination.”
DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT DISCOVER YOUR RISK
A screening tool commonly used by medical professionals is the OUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). The 10-item test, developed in partnership with the World Health Organization, is considered the gold standard for determining whether someone is abusing alcohol.
The test is reproduced here with permission from the WHO.
To complete it, answer each question and record the corresponding score.
YOUR RESULT:
0-7: You are within the limits of reasonable drinking and are at low risk for alcohol-related problems.
More than 8: Point out harmful or dangerous drinking.
8-15: Medium risk level. If you drink at your current level, you risk problems with your health and life in general, such as: B. Work and relationships. Consider reducing it (see below for tips).
16-19: Higher risk for complications from alcohol. At this level it can be difficult to reduce on your own as you may be dependent and may need professional help from your GP and/or a counsellor.
20 and over: Possible dependency. Your drinking is already causing problems and you may well become addicted. You should definitely consider phasing out, or at least drinking less. You should seek professional help to determine your addiction and the safest way to stop drinking.
Severe addiction may require medically assisted cessation or detoxification in a hospital or specialty clinic. This is because of the potential for severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms within the first 48 hours, which require specialist attention.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
