根據WHO所發表的2018年全球酒精與健康狀況報告(2018 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health),每年有超過300萬人因受酒精的影響而死亡,佔全球疾病負擔的5%以上。[17]美國國家衛生院也同樣估計每年因酒精造成的死亡人數為330萬人(佔所有死亡人數的5.9%)。[18]
對屬於觀察性研究的全球疾病負擔研究(英语:Global Burden of Disease Study)的數據進行系統綜述後發現,長期飲用任何數量的酒精都會把死亡風險提高,即使是適度飲酒也會如此。[21]研究結果與之前的分析類似,即老年女性因為飲酒,在降低缺血性心臟病和糖尿病的死亡風險有明顯益處,而與之前的結果不同之處是這些風險的降低,被乳癌和其他原因造成明顯增加的死亡風險所抵消.[21]在2016年所做的一項系統綜述和綜合分析發現,適度飲酒與終身滴酒不沾相比,在死亡率方便並沒降低。[22]因為超量喝酒會導致暴力或事故的發生,對年輕人的風險更大。[23]
所謂清醒,是在個人身上無法測量出,或是個人未受到精神藥物影響的狀況。根據WHO的《酒精和藥物術語詞庫(Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms)》,清醒是持續戒除使用精神藥物的狀態。[58]清醒也被認為是人類出生時的自然狀態。在治療環境中,清醒是對於精神藥物的消費或渴望達到戒除的目標。因此,持續戒除是清醒的先決條件。在戒除的初期,精神藥物的殘留影響可能會妨礙到達成清醒的目的。這些殘留影響被標記為急性戒斷症候群 (PAWS)。如果一個戒除酒精的人仍存有潛在恢復使用的慾望,就不能算是真正的清醒。戒除者可能會下意識想恢復使用精神藥物,但出於各種原因而仍維持戒除狀態(例如因醫療或法律原因而被制止)。[59]
“傷害”的定義是造成,或是持續存在的身體損傷或是傷害。由於飲酒後的某些短期影響,例如缺乏協調、視力模糊、和反應遲緩等,而會增加傷害自己或是他人的機會。[61]最常見的傷害包括與跌倒和車輛意外的相關傷害。對因跌倒受傷而入北愛爾蘭阿爾斯特醫院(英语:Ulster Hospital)治療的患者進行研究後,發現在此期間入院的患者中有113人最近喝過酒,飲酒者與未飲酒者相比,受傷程度更高。[62]另一項研究顯示,教學醫院布里斯托爾皇家醫院(英语:Bristol Royal Infirmary)急診室收容的患者中有21%患者的傷害與酒精有直接或間接的關係。根據這個數字進行推論,表示這家醫院的急診室在一年之中收容與酒精有關的受傷患者,估計會超過7,000人。[63]
根據美國物質濫用與精神健康管理署(英语:Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(SAMHSA)發表的2017年全國藥物使用與健康調查的綜合數據[85],12歲或以上人群過去一年的酒精使用疾患中在過去一個月有重度飲酒的佔6.1%,暴飲的為24.5% 。根據2018年的資料,在過去一個月的所有指標中,男性的比率均高於女性:任何形式的飲酒(55%對46%)、暴飲(29%對20%),而在過去一年中,男性達到酒精依賴或濫用標準的可能性為女性的1.75倍(7%對4%)。[86]隨著時間推移,男性和女性之間的差異已經縮小。根據2016年的系統綜述,對於在20世紀末出生的人,男性飲酒到有問題水準的可能性是女性的1.2 倍,飲酒到導致健康問題的可能性是女性的1.3 倍。[84]
加拿大多倫多市成癮與精神健康中心(英语:Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)對於飲酒、抑鬱、和性別之間的聯繫進行檢視。研究發現服用抗抑鬱藥中的女性與沒罹患抑鬱症的女性,以及服用抗抑鬱藥的男性相比,會飲酒更多。根據一篇發表在2007年的研究報告,兩位作者 - Kathryn Graham博士和博士生Agnes Massak對 14,063名18-76歲加拿大人參與者的回應做研究。調查包括在一年中飲酒的數量、飲用頻率、抑鬱症和抗抑鬱藥使用狀況。研究人員使用到Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study(GENACIS,一項國際合作計劃,目的在調查文化差異對酒精使用和相關問題中,因性別差異而產生的影響) 的數據。兩位做研究的目的是檢查是否像其他已經對男性抑鬱症和飲酒量進行的研究結果相同,即抑鬱症女性在服用抗抑鬱藥的當時也會減少飲酒數量。這項研究的結果是罹患抑鬱症(但並未服用抗抑鬱藥)的男性和女性,同樣都比未患抑鬱症的男性喝得更多。罹患抑鬱症而服用抗抑鬱藥的男性,比不服用抗抑鬱藥的患者,酒精攝取數量要少很多。未罹患抑鬱症的男性每年飲酒436杯,相較之下,未服用抗抑鬱藥的罹患抑鬱症男性飲酒579 杯,使用抗抑鬱藥的抑鬱男性為414杯。無論抑鬱女性是否服用抗抑鬱藥,飲酒量仍然較高。非抑鬱女性每年179杯,未使用抗抑鬱藥的抑鬱女性每年235杯,使用抗抑鬱藥的抑鬱女性則是每年264杯。研究報告的首席研究員認為,這項研究“顯示在患有抑鬱症的男性中,使用抗抑鬱藥與減少飲酒量有關聯。但對於女性而言,似乎並非如此。”[90]
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