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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts) Fri Mar 22, 2013, 09:55 AM Mar 2013

Alcohol 'biggest cause' of hospital visits in France

Alcohol 'biggest cause' of hospital visits in France

We all know France is synonymous with good wine, but a shocking new report has found that alcohol abuse is now the leading cause of hospital visits in France. Short emergency room stays, for drunken trips and falls, have skyrocketed by 80 percent in three years.

No fewer than 400,000 French men and women were sent to hospital in 2012 suffering from illness or injuries caused by alcohol abuse.

This represents a 30 percent jump in just three years, and means that alcohol consumption now accounts for twice as many hospitalizations in France as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Perhaps most alarmingly, the report – conducted by the French Society for the Study of Alcohol, and published by Europe 1 radio on Friday – found a staggering 80 percent rise in short-stay hospital visits, mainly for alcohol-related accidents and falls, and especially among young men and women.

http://www.thelocal.fr/page/view/alcohol-is-frances-biggest-cause-of-hospital-visits#.UUxwGjei2So

6 replies

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Alcohol 'biggest cause' of hospital visits in France (Original Post) The Straight Story Mar 2013 OP

yes, another lecture over the years about how progress europe is. look the kids drink. no problem seabeyond Mar 2013 #1

Absolutely....and thank you.. Tikki Mar 2013 #3

This is more likely caused by the dismal economic outlook in Europe laundry_queen Mar 2013 #2

No, the accidents are caused by consumption of alcohol 1-Old-Man Mar 2013 #4

Um. ok. laundry_queen Mar 2013 #6

I Was In The ER RobinA Mar 2013 #5

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)

1. yes, another lecture over the years about how progress europe is. look the kids drink. no problem

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 10:00 AM

Mar 2013

there.

having kids and alcoholism in my family. knowing i have to walk this issue carefully with teens. i have done a lot of research.

OH FUCK... that is a huge ass myth that starting kids drinking young allows a healthy moderation attitude toward booze.

glad i actually did the research instead of depending on the many people on du telling me this is the healthy progressive europe i am suppose to admire.

Tikki

(14,556 posts)

3. Absolutely....and thank you..

Reply to seabeyond (Reply #1)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:05 AM

Mar 2013

There is never a reason for children to drink alcohol.

Tikki

laundry_queen

(8,646 posts)

2. This is more likely caused by the dismal economic outlook in Europe

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 10:55 AM

Mar 2013

than anything else. It's pretty well documented alcohol sales increases are directly inversely proportional to amount of income. This likely has nothing to do with France's culture, and everything to do with hard times.

1-Old-Man

(2,667 posts)

4. No, the accidents are caused by consumption of alcohol

Reply to laundry_queen (Reply #2)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:23 AM

Mar 2013

Poor economies do not cause people to be drunk, it is the drinking of alcohol that causes people to be drunk. I put this on the same plane as gun control, no, in fact I think alcohol control is much more important in our society than gun control because alcohol causes far more deaths and injuries than guns ever have. Alcohol is the most deadly thing on earth if you exclude religion.

laundry_queen

(8,646 posts)

6. Um. ok.

Reply to 1-Old-Man (Reply #4)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:38 AM

Mar 2013

Let me 'splain this. There was an 80% increase in drunken accidents in the last few years. That means an increase in alcohol consumption (duh). Increased alcohol consumption (overall, at the societal level - critical thinking needed here), despite what you are trying to say, IS tied to economic circumstances. I don't know why the eff you brought guns into this. Same plane, lol. What a rambling post...

RobinA

(9,888 posts)

5. I Was In The ER

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Fri Mar 22, 2013, 11:37 AM

Mar 2013

one Sunday night in suburban Philadelphia, I had broken my arm while ice skating. The place was booming to the point where I had to sit in the hallway while waiting for a doctor. Other than me and an ancient woman who was there for age-related problems, every person in my section of the ER was there for alcohol-related reasons. From the DTs to the woman lying on the stretcher, also in the hallway, who had fallen in her kitchen and hit her head in an alcohol-fueled stupor, the most common question asked by staff that night was "How much have you had to drink?" It was eye opening.

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