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Booze prime killer in Finland
01/11/2006 22:09 - (SA)
Helsinki - Alcohol became the leading cause of death in Finland in 2005, killing more people than cardiovascular disease or cancer, said the state statistics agency on Wednesday.
For the first time, alcohol was the leading cause of death among Finnish men. In women, breast cancer was the biggest killer, neck-and-neck with alcohol.
A total of 27.7% of deaths among Finns aged between 15 and 64 last year were attributed to excessive drinking or alcohol poisoning, said the agency.
Alcohol consumption in the Nordic country has risen steadily in the past 20 years.
In 2005, each Finn drank the equivalent of 10.5 litres of pure alcohol, compared to 6.3 litres in 1980 and 7.7 litres in 2003, said the statistics agency.
Finnish experts blamed the rise on European Union (EU) regulations which led to a slashing of alcohol import quotas and a 40% reduction in taxes on spirits introduced in March 2004.
"It is a failure of health policy in the EU," said Pia Makela, a senior researcher at the national research and development centre for welfare and health.
Like neighbouring Sweden, Finland is fighting to maintain its alcohol distribution monopoly, arguing that a restrictive alcohol policy limits consumption and promotes good health.
Poor people more at risk
But the EU says the monopoly poses a barrier to competition.
The statistics agency said that among men, drink was responsible for 17% of deaths. Cardiovascular disease accounted for 16.6%, accidents for 12.8%, suicides 7.7%, lung cancer 5.3% and strokes 3.9%.
"Nearly one half of all alcohol-related deaths was among men aged 45-59, but alcohol-related deaths are on the increase also among older age groups," said the agency.
Among women, 10.6% of deaths were directly attributed to alcohol, second only to breast cancer, which killed 10.7% of women.
Accidents were responsible for 7.5% of deaths, suicides 6.7%, cardiovascular disease 5.7% and strokes 5.1%.
Makela said poorer people were more at risk than higher-income earners.
Healthier food
"The well-off population and the lower-class people drink the same amount, but the lower-class people have an (alcohol-related) death rate three or four times higher," she said.
The difference is explained by the fact that wealthier people tend to eat healthier food, go to the doctor more frequently and often have more family support.
Finns' life expectancy in 2005 was 75.5 years for men and 82.3 years for women.
- AFP
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