If you want to live, stop drinking!

Alcohol has become the third most common cause of illness and injury

ABC MagazineA study by scientists from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) has revealed that alcohol has become the third leading cause of diseases and injuries worldwide.

At the same time, Canada is named the most drinking country in the world. The results of this study (Global alcohol exposure estimates by country, territory and region for 2005-a contribution to the Comparative Risk Assessment for the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study) are published in the journal Addiction.

"Not every drinker thinks about it, but alcohol consumption is the cause of more than 200 different diseases and injuries," writes Kevin Shield, lead author of the study. "Among them are not only the most well–known to everyone, for example, cirrhosis of the liver or injuries as a result of an accident, but also many other diseases, for example, breast cancer in women."

In the course of the study, scientists compared the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption in different countries of the world for 2005 and 2010. The results showed that the most drinkers of the Earth live in Europe and southern Africa. They are also prone to the most dangerous alcohol consumption – they drink often and a lot, consume alcohol without snacks and get drunk to severe intoxication every time. Residents of North America and, in particular, Canada consume almost 50 percent of all alcohol consumed in the world. The least drinkable population lives in northern Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

Researchers are particularly frightened by the fact that of all the alcohol consumed in 2005, 30 percent of alcohol was "unofficial" – homemade, illegal or not intended for drinking at all. Such alcohol remains a big problem, since its consumption cannot be influenced by the introduction of a special alcohol policy, for example, by high taxation.

The contribution of alcohol to diseases and injuries around the world is very large and is constantly growing. In 2010, alcohol was the culprit of 5.5 percent of all diseases and injuries on the planet. Thus, alcohol ranks third after high blood pressure and smoking.

From the editorial office (based on the materials of tales roaming the Runet with unconfirmed authenticity):

One of the oldest residents of Colombia, Javier Pereira, lived 169 years. A special postage stamp was issued in his honor. On the day when Pereira turned 146 years old, representatives of the authorities and senior officials came to congratulate him. They asked for the consent of the hero of the day to have a commemorative stamp with his image issued in his honor. Pereira agreed, but set a condition: at the bottom in the corner of the stamp should be written: "I drink And smoke."

Among centenarian centenarians, inveterate drunkards are often found. The surgeon Politiman died at the age of 140 (1685-1825); from the age of 25 he used to get drunk every day after finishing his studies.

Gascony, a butcher in Trieux (Pyrenees), who died in 1767 at the age of 120, got drunk 2 times a week.

The example of one Irish landowner Brown, who lived to 120 years, is striking. He bequeathed to make him a tombstone inscription stating that "he was always drunk and so terrible in this state that death itself was afraid of him."

(Attention: the opinion of the editorial board may not coincide with the opinion of the editorial board! :)

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru07.03.2013