Alcohol consumption in the European Community: uniformity and diversity in drinking patterns

Abstract

Within the European Community (EC) drinking patterns in the southern countries can be characterised by daily consumption of wine at meals, and in the northern countries by less frequent consumption of beer outside meals. Yet, as in past decades in the southern countries beer consumption and in the northern countries wine consumption strongly increased, the question is whether the distinction in drinking patterns still applies. This paper (1) describes for each country of the EC total alcohol consumption, (2) examines the frequency and the context of consumption of the new beverage type and (3) analyses whether subpopulations, defined by sex, age and educational level, differ in the adoption of the new beverage type. In all countries wine is consumed more often at meals compared to beer. Older people consume wine in greater numbers and more frequently than younger people, who consume beer in greater numbers. People of higher educational level consume the new beverage type more often compared to people of lower educational level, who consume the traditional beverage type more frequently. Finally, males and females differ less in the frequency of consumption of the new beverage type than in the frequency of the traditional beverage type.

Patterns of alcohol consumption in 10 European countries participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) project

“…The European Community study 1 found that the frequency of wine consumption by women was much lower than that of men in the countries of southern Europe. This is mirrored by our finding that women consumed much less total ethanol than men in the Mediterranean countries, whereas in central and northern Europe, the total ethanol consumption of women was not far behind that of men.…”

“…In that study, which evaluated the frequency of alcohol drinking, the Mediterranean countries were characterised mainly by wine consumption, whereas people in northern Europe mainly drank beer 1 . In our study this was only really true for men, since, for all study centres except Murcia (Spain), wine contributed more to women's total alcohol intake than all other sources combined.…”

“…Specifically, the type of alcoholic beverage consumed, the proportion of total alcohol consumed during the weekend, the amount of alcohol ingested per drinking occasion and the drinking context (social drinking vs. solitary drinking) vary across cultures and between countries 1 . In Europe, however, drinking patterns seem to be converging, in that traditional patterns have been substituted by newly acquired, more homogenous ones 1 . Alcohol consumption has been related to increased risk of death by homicide, suicide, and traffic and other accidents 2,3 .…”

“…Alcohol drinking patterns vary between countries and cultures 1 . Specifically, the type of alcoholic beverage consumed, the proportion of total alcohol consumed during the weekend, the amount of alcohol ingested per drinking occasion and the drinking context (social drinking vs. solitary drinking) vary across cultures and between countries 1 .…”

Teaching ‘Proper’ Drinking?: Clubs and pubs in Indigenous Australia

“…Prior to the introduction of the potato, beer was a major source of nourishment for central and northern Europe, with 'beer soup' being consumed for breakfast (Schivelbusch 1993: 22). However, even this north-south distinction is becoming blurred, as wine consumption increases in northern Europe and beer consumption rises in Mediterranean countries (Hupkens et al 1993).…”