ABSTRACT
The study identifies changes in selected ("unplanned") socio-demographic and economic factors as well as in (planned) political measures that are most strongly correlated with changes in alcohol consumption and alcohol consumption-related harm between 1961 and 2006 in Austria. During the period of investigation consumption increased until the early 1970s, dropped during the next decade and have leveled off since. Increasing urbanization, female employment and average age of mothers at their child births are associated with the best time series model for the interpretation of consumption changes. The results regarding alcohol control policies and their impact on consumption were paradoxical. Study limitations were noted pointing up the necessity to improve indicators and concepts.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Health Policy , Accidents, Traffic/mortality , Adult , Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects , Alcohol Drinking/prevention & control , Alcoholic Beverages , Austria/epidemiology , Beer , Female , Humans , Liver Diseases/mortality , Male , Politics , Program Evaluation , Socioeconomic Factors , WineABSTRACT
This exploratory study investigates major changes in opioid substitution treatment during the last decade in Austria and identifies main interests groups and their interplay. Different levels of visibility of interest groups and variations in latency of interests contribute further to the complexity of the multilevel structure of interests and interest groups regarding substitute therapy issues. Austria's unique low threshold of substitution treatment was developed during the 1990s, and is based on the prescription of slow release morphine and on the high involvement of GPs. Opponents, becoming active during the new millennium, succeeded in tightening up legal regulations but failed to change treatment practice.
Subject(s)
Health Policy , Opiate Substitution Treatment , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Austria , HumansABSTRACT
Beginning with France in the 1950s, alcohol consumption has decreased in Southern European countries with few or no preventive alcohol policy measures being implemented, while alcohol consumption has been increasing in Northern European countries where historically more restrictive alcohol control policies were in place, even though more recently they were loosened. At the same time, Central and Eastern Europe have shown an intermediate behavior. We propose that country-specific changes in alcohol consumption between 1960 and 2008 are explained by a combination of a number of factors: (1) preventive alcohol policies and (2) social, cultural, economic, and demographic determinants. This article describes the methodology of a research study designed to understand the complex interactions that have occurred throughout Europe over the past five decades. These include changes in alcohol consumption, drinking patterns and alcohol-related harm, and the actual determinants of such changes.
