Alcohol consumption from 1960 onwards according to beverage categories (National data or data from World Drink Trends): According to the Estonian Institute of Economic Research total consumption of alcohol per capita in 2004 was 13,1 litres with 5% growth in one year.
All of the republics in the European part of the former Soviet Union experienced marked improvements in life expectancy after the imposition of Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign in 1985.
There is now considerable evidence that these changes can be attributed to the reduction in traditionally extremely high rates of alcohol related death. However, these improvements were short lived and life expectancy in Estonia has fallen since 1989, accompanied by removal, or failure to enforce, controls on alcohol imports and production.
Although only one measure of alcohol related mortality, rates of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis have the advantage of relative specificity, compared with other causes where the contribution of alcohol may be more variable, such as injuries, and can be used to give an idea of the scale of the problem. Between 1990 and 1995, age standardised death rates from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis doubled in Estonia.
Official statistics on consumption are often derived from official sales data. However, this is of limited value in situations such as those in Estonia where there is extensive smuggling and illicit production. According to the WHO the rate of consumption was in 1991 - 17,88 litres per capita. In 1996 it was only 6,43. From there it has grown to 13,1 in 2004. These statistical numbers in 90-s are not trustworthy. During the Soviet period the regime did not want to show the real situation so there is no proved data from that time of period.
The use of spirits, wine and beer has constantly increased during the last 10 years among men and women. From 1999-2002 the spirits industry grew up to 88%.
The research of the Estonian Institute of Economic Research shows that in 1995 31% of student boys have consumed strong alcohol atleast three times in last 30 days. In 2003 already 50% said that. In 1995 only 10% of pupils said that they have been drunk more than 20 times in life. In 2003 33%. Growth of drunkenness may be explained by the choice of alcohol – when the beer drinking has stayed the same compared to the year 1999, wine drinking have decreased, then drinking strong alcohol have been seriously increased.
Figures on unrecorded alcohol consumption by beverage categories. (Give at least rough estimates on unrecorded alcohol production, smuggling, the importance of drinking by tourists, border trade and alcohol imports by travelers. Example: Smuggling of alcoholic beverages is unimportant in regard to total alcohol consumption): One source estimates that 45% of alcohol consumed in Estonia is from illegal sources. According to the Estonian Institute of Economic Research Estonians drunk 1,32 litres illegal alcohol per capita.
In September 2001 68 people died in Pärnu county because they bought illegal alcohol. The drink was laced with poisonous methyl alcohol, and sold in refilled half-litre plastic bottles in the seaside resort of Pärnu, about 125km from Tallinn. 30 children lost mother or father or both. Convicted criminal, who was selling the drink, received 5 years imprisonment.
Average tourist bought 1,2 litres spirits in 2003 and 3 litres on 2004. An average tourist bought 12,6 litres beer in 2003 and 21,6 litres in 2004. Tourist’s total consumption on 2004 was about 1,2 litres per capita.
Drinking habits according to latest population survey if available (percentage of abstainers, overall drinking frequencies, weekly rhythm of drinking, drinking frequencies by beverage type, hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence, binge drinking, gender differences, differences between age groups): WHO shows that in 2003 6,9% of adults qualify as heavy episodic drinkers (At least once a week consumption of five or more standard drinks in one sitting.) Heavy episodic drinkers among young adults aged 18–24 years old are 6,0% (At least once a week consumption of five or more standard drinks in one sitting). A 2002 cross-sectional survey of adults aged 16 to 64 years found that 18.5% of males and 8.7% of females reported binge drinking at least once a week and 2.8% of males and 1.1% of females reported binge drinking almost daily. (Source: Kasmel A, Lipand A, Markina A.)
According to the 2001/2002 HBSC survey , the proportion of 15-year-olds who reported ever having been drunk two or more times was 56.7% for boys and 42% for girls (Source: WHO Health Policy for Children and Adolescents (HEPCA), 2004.).
In 2001, the incidence rate of alcohol dependence was 240 per 100 000 inhabitants for men and 32 per 100 000 inhabitants for women (Source: Estonian Health Statistics 2000–2001).
Source : http://www.stakes.fi (2002 - Österberg & Karlsson)
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