European Alcoho... / Resources / Country Profiles / Slovak Republic
Slovak Republic
Domáca (home-made) alcohol is the traditional beverage in Slovakia. In the fall, home dilstillers use the summer's fruit to make this hard alcohol, which is about 60% alcohol by volume. [1]
Since the mid 1980s, recorded adult per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages has fluctuated between about 12 to 14 litres, coming to sit at around 12 litres per capita by 2001. [2]
According to the 2003 World Health Survey (total sample size 1752, ages 18 and over), the rate of lifetime abstainers was 7.7%. [3]
According to the 1999 ESPAD survey (total sample size 2442, ages 15 and 16 years), the rate of alcohol consumers was 27% total. Alcohol consumer was defined as lifetime use of 40 times or more. Also, the rate of youth binge drinking was 8% total, with binge drinking defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row three times or more in the last 30 days. [4]
In a 2002 study of 844 students from grammar schools, secondary schools and apprentice schools in Kosice (361 males and 483 females, mean age 19.6 years), 22.4% of boys and 13.7% of girls reported having been drunk 1-2 times during the last four weeks. 8.9% of boys and 1.7% of girls reported having been drunk three times or more during the last four weeks preceding the survey. [5]
The SDR per 100,000 people for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis was 27.85 in 2000 and 26.73 in 2001. [6]
The number of alcohol-related road traffic accidents per 100,000 people was 21.31 in 2000 and 22.35 in 2001. [7]
[1] Pisárová M. "Alcohol: Slovak national tradition claims ever new lives." The Slovak Spectator, 10 February 2000. (http://www.slovakspectator.sk/clanok-1369.html)
[2] World Drink Trends, 2003.
[3] Ustun TB et al. The World Health Surveys. In: Murray CJL, Evans DB, eds. Health Systems Performance Assessment: Debates, Methods and Empiricism. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2003.
[4] 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.
[5] Gecková AM et al. Socio-ekonomické nerovnosti v zdravi u adolescentov a mlad´ych dospel´ych longitudinálna stúdia. Správa z riesenia v´yskumnej úlohy (Socio-economic inequalities in health among adolescents and young adults-longitudinal study. Report). KISH UHV PF UPJS, Kosice, 2004. In: Gecková AM. Personal Communication. 3 August 2004.
[6] & [7] European health for all database. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe (http://hfadb.who.dk/hfa)
