Alcohol Consumption and Closed Borders - How COVID-19 Restrictions have Impacted Alcohol Sales and Consumption in Europe

BackgroundThe closing of bars, restaurants and international borders during the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in alcohol availability. The study provides a first systematic overview of the monthly development of alcohol sales in Europe during the pandemic in order to determine the effect of closed borders on the sales and consumption of alcohol.MethodsThe study covers 60 months from January 2015 to December 2020 in 14 northern-European countries with excise revenue data for beer, wine, spirits separately and summed, converted into litres of pure alcohol per capita 15+ as a proxy for alcohol sales. March-December 2020 is seen as the pandemic period. The analyses consist of (1) descriptive trends of sales before and during the pandemic, (2) assessment of the pandemic impact on sales by time-series analyses and (3) case studies of countries with substantial cross-border inflow or outflow of alcohol.ResultsThe result shows an overall reduction in alcohol sales during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the results differ based on the level of cross-border purchasing flows pre-pandemic, as countries with high cross-border inflow saw an increase in domestic sales as the pandemic hit. ConclusionThe closing of intra-European borders had a significant redistributing effect on alcohol sales. While noting sales increases, cross-border inflow countries generally saw a decrease in total alcohol consumption as not all cross-border purchases were replaced by domestic sales. This has important policy implications as large volumes of cross-border inflow of alcohol can negatively affect excise revenue as well as public health outcomes. The methodology can be used to further explore the reliance of different purchasing streams in a domestic alcohol market.

Consumption of Tea, Alcohol and Fruits and Risk of Kidney Stones: A Prospective Cohort Study in 0.5 Million Chinese Adults

A few prospective studies have suggested that tea, alcohol, and fruit consumption may reduce the risk of kidney stones. However, little is known whether such associations and their combined effect persist in Chinese adults, for whom the popular tea and alcohol drinks are different from those investigated in the aforementioned studies. The present study included 502,621 participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB). Information about tea, alcohol, and fruit consumption was self-reported at baseline. The first documented cases of kidney stones during follow-up were collected through linkage with the national health insurance system. Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). During a median of 11.1 years of follow-up, we collected 12,407 cases of kidney stones. After multivariable adjustment, tea, alcohol, and fruit consumption were found to be negatively associated with kidney stone risk, but the linear trend was only found in tea and fruit consumption. Compared with non-tea consumers, the HR (95% CI) for participants who drank ≥7 cups of tea per day was 0.73 (0.65–0.83). Compared with non-alcohol consumers, the HR (95% CI) was 0.79 (0.72–0.87) for participants who drank pure alcohol of 30.0–59.9 g per day but had no further decrease with a higher intake of alcohol. Compared with less-than-weekly consumers, the HR (95% CI) for daily fruit consumers was 0.81 (0.75–0.87). Even for those who did not drink alcohol excessively, increasing tea and fruit consumption could also independently reduce the stone risk. Among Chinese adults, tea, alcohol, and fruit consumption was associated with a lower risk of kidney stones.

Trends in Alcohol Consumption for Korean Adults from 1998 to 2018: Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey

Drinking culture has been well developed in Korea. This research assessed trends in daily pure alcohol consumption over time and examined its trends regarding socio-demographic variables and alcoholic beverage types. We used data from the 1998–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 87,623 adults aged ≥ 19 years were included. Alcohol intake was assessed via 24-h dietary recall, and pure alcohol content was calculated according to alcoholic beverage type. Daily alcohol consumption increased from 8.37 g in 1998 to 14.98 g in 2016–2018 (p for trend < 0.001). The degree of the increasing trend was higher for women (2.09 g to 5.79 g) than men (14.78 g to 23.94 g) from 1998 to 2016–2018. Alcohol intake was highest in men aged 30–49 years and women aged 19–29 years. Moreover, the change of the rising trend in alcohol consumption according to high socioeconomic factors was more pronounced than the other variables. Lastly, the alcohol intake from soju and beer was dominant in alcohol consumption and escalated over time. The total daily alcohol intake increased about two times during 21 years in Korea, and the trends varied according to socio-demographic status.

Czy w dzisiejszych czasach proste obserwacje mogą jeszcze znacząco zmieniać postrzeganie podstawowych zjawisk? Przypadek cieczy eutektycznych

Can Simple Observations Today Still Significantly Change the Perception of Basic Phenomena? The Case of Eutectic Solvents The article presents a case study in which a simple, practical observation significantly changed the perception of basic phenomena regarding the mechanism of cell functioning, and thus was able to change the existing theory. This observation drew attention to the fact that the extract obtained from the dry plant substance with the use of pure alcohol, after distilling off the solvent, does not give a dry concentrated extract, and the viscous residue cannot be dried by distillation. This is a phenomenon that practically every phytochemist has encountered since the inception of this field of knowledge. It turned out that the explanation for the described phenomenon is the presence of eutectic solvents. Eutectic solvents are formed by mixing specific solid components, which liquefy without the addition of solvents, thanks to a significant lowering of the melting point of the mixture compared to the melting points of the starting materials. Although more than a hundred years have passed since the description of the above phenomenon, in the field of natural sciences, eutectic solvents have been treated as a curiosity for a long time, while in medical sciences – and more specifically in pharmacy – they were considered an inconvenience causing pharmaceutical incompatibilities. In fact, they are essential for the functioning of cells, enabling plants to develop frost resistance, being responsible for the ability to cryopreserve animal tissues, or allowing the dissolution of substances which are otherwise insoluble inside the cell in either the lipid layer or the aqueous part of the cell juice. The described discovery, made in 2011, allowed for a leap improvement in the understanding of the functioning of living cells.

Evaluation of changes in alcohol consumption: evidence from Russia

PurposeThe paper investigates changes in consumption of pure alcohol, vodka, beer, wine and fortified wine by neighboring age classes of Russians.Design/methodology/approachData source is the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey – HSE from 2000 to 2017. Age groups are those born in 1934 and older, in 1935–1944 and further with a 10-years interval till the group of 1985 and younger. The amount of consumed alcohol is estimated with Heckman model. LR-test is used to determine the similarity of alcohol consumption behavior of age groups. Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition presents the difference in the average level of alcohol consumption among two neighboring age classes with the explained and unexplained parts.FindingsMale and female respondents from the group (1985+) drink significantly less absolute alcohol than the previous age class born in 1975–1984. Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition shows that an increase in absolute alcohol consumption for women and a decrease in absolute alcohol consumption for men come from the unexplained difference of consumption volumes. Policy measures should be targeted on the prevention of excessive alcohol consumption among Russian women since they demonstrate an increase in the consumption of vodka, beer and fortified wine from one generation to another.Originality/valueFor the first time, the paper presents decomposition of changes in alcohol consumption volumes for neighboring age groups of Russians. The change in consumption volumes might be due to the change of objective characteristics of individuals and unobservable factors like the influence of advertising, government policy and the entry of new alcohol producers into the market.

Evaluating the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing on population alcohol consumption in Scotland

Background Scotland experiences high levels of alcohol consumption and related harm. The relationship between alcohol price and consumption is well established. Minimum unit pricing (MUP), introduced in Scotland in 2018, sets a minimum price at which a unit of alcohol can be sold. The intention of MUP is to prevent alcohol being sold at below 50 pence per unit, thereby reducing alcohol consumption and in turn related harm to health. Scotland is the first country to implement this form of MUP; the evaluation of the impact of MUP is therefore of international importance. Methods Using commercial alcohol retail sales data, we use a natural experiment design with interrupted time series analysis to assess for changes in the level or trend of the volume of pure alcohol sold in Scotland associated with MUP implementation. Data for England and Wales will be used as a control. Results Descriptive analysis shows per adult off-trade sales of pure alcohol in Scotland fell by 3.6% in the year following MUP implementation. An increase in the average price of alcohol of 5 pence per unit in Scotland was also observed. There were reductions in per adult sales in all major drink categories with cider having the greatest relative decline (18.6%); cider also had the greatest increase in average price. Results of the interrupted time series analysis have yet to be reported but will be available for the conference. Conclusions The early indication of a reduction in total per adult off-trade sales of pure alcohol is an encouraging sign that MUP is having its intended impact. However, the full impact of MUP can only be judged across a range of outcome areas and over a longer time period. Key messages Minimum unit pricing appears to be having its intended impact on alcohol consumption at a population level in Scotland in the short term. Further work is ongoing to assess the impact of MUP on a wide range of outcomes and over a longer time period.

Development of a Spirit Drink Produced with Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L.) Fruit and Honey

Food safety and diversification of agri-food products are increasingly important. A new spirit drink produced from the arbutus fruit (strawberry tree fruit) and honey was designed, taking advantage of the best features of these two ingredients and limiting the methanol content. This work reports the first approach to its development, considering in particular its chemical composition, especially the volatile components, and sensory properties. Methanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, and fusel alcohols were quantified and identified by GC–FID/GC–MS. Sensory analyses were performed by a trained panel. Promising results were obtained, showing that the new spirit has features close to those of honey spirit. Significantly lower contents of methanol, acetaldehyde, and ethyl acetate were observed in the new spirit compared to arbutus spirit (359.0 vs. 994.4 g/hL of pure alcohol (P.A.), 20.5 vs. 25.6 g/hL P.A., and 35.5 vs. 53.9 g/hL P.A., respectively), which is advantageous from the food safety and quality perspectives. The total content of fusel alcohols in the new spirit was significantly lower than in honey spirit (261.4 vs. 388.85 g/hL P.A.). Distinct aroma and flavor profiles were examined, but only four attributes were significantly different between the these spirit drinks: dried fruits, unctuous, varnish (although at very low perception), and sweet.

TENDENCJE KONSUMPCJI WYROBÓW ALKOHOLOWYCH W EUROPIE W LATACH 2016-2019

The paper presents the results of research on the determination of the trend of consumption of pure alcohol per one person in the years 2017 - 2019 and an analysis of the appropriateness of applying the division of Europe into regions according to the UN M49 classification. The study was conducted for European countries, divided into Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Holt's exponential double smoothing method was used in the forecasting process. As a result of the conducted research, general downward trends of the phenomenon in the discussed period were demonstrated, as well as the possibility of using territorial division according to the average volume of total alcohol consumption in individual European countries.

Alcohol Consumption Trends in the EU Member States and Their Association with Selected Socio-economic Indicators

BACKGROUND: Harmful alcohol consumption has a negative impact on the health and social lives of individuals. Alcohol consumption is risky for the development of non-communicable diseases, can lead to the development of serious illnesses, and, unfortunately, can lead to death, injuries, or accidents. Societies and especially individuals should be more involved in the reduction of harmful alcohol consumption. AIM: The paper deals with the analysis of the status of, and trends in, the consumption of pure alcohol per capita in the EU countries between 1980 and 2015. Correlation analysis was conducted to detect the association between the per capita consumption of alcohol and some selected socio-economic indicators. METHODS: Statistical characteristics, such as average, median, range, standard deviation, and the coefficient of variation were used to describe the level of the per capita consumption of pure alcohol in the EU. Boxplot figures detected the extremely high/low levels of the indicators that were analysed. Index numbers were used to calculate the relative change in alcohol consumption. The existence of a linear relationship was discovered through correlation analysis. Useful figures helped to present the status or change in the per capita consumption of alcohol and the relationship between alcohol consumption and selected indicators. RESULTS: The trend of the per capita consumption of pure alcohol in the EU was positive. The average per capita consumption of alcohol declined from 12.9 litres in 1980 to 10.4 litres in 2015. Not only did the average or median consumption decline, but also the variability of alcohol consumption per capita declined till 2010. The greatest reduction was found for the Mediterranean countries: Italy (-57.3%), Spain (53.3%), Greece (-49.7%), and France (37.4%). On the other hand, in some “new” EU countries an increase in the per capita consumption of alcohol occurred, the highest being in Estonia. On the EU level, no statistically significant correlation was discovered between the per capita consumption of alcohol and gross domestic product per capita or between alcohol consumption and countries’ unemployment rates.