Alcohol study

Alcohol: drinking habits “deeply rooted”

In a European comparison, Austrians drink a lot of beer and few spirits (symbolic image).

(Bild: APA/dpa/Alexander Heinl)

The use of different types of alcohol is deeply rooted in our culture. It has hardly changed over a period of 20 years, as a study on drinking habits in Europe has now shown. Austria is characterized above all by a comparatively high consumption of beer.

The amount of alcohol consumed did not vary that much. It ranges from 9.2 liters in southern European countries such as Italy and Greece, where people mainly drink wine, to twelve liters in eastern European countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where both spirits and other alcoholic beverages are consumed.

Beer bottles

(Bild: Alexander Heinl / dpa / picturedesk.com)

In Austria, people drink a comparatively large amount of beer, but few spirits. The research team also defined countries with a lot of beer, spirits and frequent binge drinking, such as Croatia and the Czech Republic, as well as countries with a lot of high-proof alcohol, but also anti-alcoholics. Examples of this group are Ukraine and Bulgaria. Finally, there is a group in which a particularly large number of people drink alcohol, often to the point of intoxication: Finland, Iceland and Ireland.

"Difficult to change"
The studies were carried out in 2000, 2010, 2015 and 2019. At these points in time, the countries were largely stable, writes the international research team. "Europe remains a region with distinct drinking habits that appear to be deeply ingrained in the culture and therefore difficult to change," the study states.

Alcohol policies for this change are in place and should be considered by all European countries.

Forschungsteam, das Umgang mit Alkohol analysiert hat

In 2000, however, there was an additional group in which relatively little alcohol was consumed. Norway, Poland, Iceland and Sweden had the strictest alcohol restrictions at the time, but had all relaxed them again by 2010.

At the end of their work, the authors conclude that ways should be found to change the patterns that have been learned. All European countries should "consider alcohol policy measures for health reasons."