European Alcoho... / Resources / Country Profiles / Lithuania
Lithuania
In Lithuania, consumption of alcohol is higher among the rural population. Tradition of drinking heavily, which were formed over a period of several decades after the war, became stronger when home brew alcohol became more widespread and accessible. The rural population remains the principal market for illegal alcohol. [1] It has been estimated that up to 65% of alcohol consumed in 1994 was illegally produced or imported. [2]
A 1998 survey of 1874 adults (44% male) aged 20 years and above found that 29% of the total population sampled (27% of males and 31% of females) were frequent consumers of strong alcohol (spirits). Frequent consumption was defined for men as once a week or more for women as 2-3 times a month or more. [3]
Youth Drinking: According to the 2001/2002 HBSC Survey (total sample size 1905), the proportion of 15-year-olds who reported ever having been drunk two or more times was 56.7% for boys and 42.2% for girls. [4]
Fifty-one percent of 11-15-year-old boys and 40% of girls reported that they have been drunk at least once in their life (in 1994, 33% of boys and 21% of girls and in 1998, 39% of boys and 27% of girls were drunk at least once). In the 1999 ESPAD study of 15 and 16 year olds (total sample size 5039), the proportion of subjects who reported being drunk three times or more in the last 30 days was 9% total, 12% male and 6% female. [5]
Traditionally popular in Lithuania, strong alcohol has partially given way to wine and beer. The habit of drinking heavily at weekends and during holidays is being replaced by another mode of alcohol use: frequent (several times a week, or even daily) but smaller quantities of wine or beer. Changes in people's habits, accompanied by the transition to weaker alcohol, could be significant in the the further reduction of alcohol abuse. Still, as noted in the 1998 annual National Health Review issued by the National Health Centre, approximately 1000 people still die each year due to alcohol abuse. More than 1000 are injured because of drunk driving. [6]
The SDR per 100,000 people for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis was 19.11 in 2001 and 18.49 in 2002. [7]
The number of alcohol-related road traffic accidents per 100,000 people was 31.69 in 2000 and 29.62 in 2001. As many as 882 road traffic accidents were caused by people under the influence of alcohol, 1 in 6 total. [8]
[1] & [6] Subata E. Drug and alcohol abuse as a social phenomenon. In: Lithuanian Human Development Report 1999. United Nations Development Program.
[2] Logminiene Z et al. Avoidable mortality in Lithuania: 1991-1999 compared with 1970-1990. Public Health, 2004, 118(3):201-210.
[3] Kasmel A et al. Association between health behaviour and self-reported health in Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania. European Journal of Public Health, 2004, 14 (1): 32-36.
[4] Currie C et al., eds. Young people's health in context. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: international report from the 2001/2002 survey. Copenhagen, WHO Health Policy for Children and Adolescents (HEPCA), 2004.
[5] Hibell B et al. The 1999 ESPAD Report. The European School Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs: Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among Students in 30 European Countries. Stockholm, Council of Europe, 2000.
[7] & [8] European health for all database. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe (http://hfadb.who.dk/hfa)
