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How people drink is as important as how much they drink.
Patterns describe numerous facets of drinking that are more reliably related to potential outcomes at the individual level. Elements of drinking patterns include:
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how much people drink, particularly on a given occasion and how often these occasions are heavy;
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characteristics of drinkers such as age, gender, genetic factors, health status;
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where drinking takes place, whether at home, in bars and restaurants, or in other public venues;
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when people drink, whether with meals, at gatherings, during “time-outs” and how drinking is spread out over time;
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drinking “confederates”, those with whom people drink – family, friends, peers, colleagues and others;
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types of beverages consumed, including commercially produced beverages of known quality, illicitly produced beverages, and possibly toxic and adulterated drinks.
There is a strong relationship between certain patterns of drinking and particular outcomes for health.
A range of positive health outcomes is related to different patterns of drinking:
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Health outcomes can be are both chronic (long-term) and acute (short-term).
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For some people, moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to confer a protective effect against some types of coronary heart disease (CHD), type 2 diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis (in post-menopausal women). Other positive effects include improved cognitive function (especially among older people), reduced risk of dementia.
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Moderate drinking has also been correlated with a reduction in overall mortality across populations as compared to abstainers and moderate drinkers.
Negative outcomes of drinking are strongly related to abusive and excessive patterns of consumption.
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Acute negative outcomes include accidents and injuries, such as those resulting from to automobile or boating accidents, or injuries sustained in the workplace.
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Analyses of emergency room data have suggested that the severity of injuries sustained may depend on drinking patterns – heavier drinking is likely to result in more severe injury.
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Chronic health effects of abusive alcohol consumption include certain types of cardiovascular problems, liver cirrhosis, neurological damage and dementia, birth defects.
Drinking patterns are also related to a range of social outcomes.
- Positive social outcomes of alcohol consumption include sociability, improvements in quality of life.
- Negative outcomes of heavy and abusive drinking patterns include road traffic accidents, aggression among some individuals, problems in the workplace, absenteeism and low performance, and problematic interpersonal relationships.
- The is evidence that earning potential of individuals is associated to drinking patterns – individuals whose drinking is moderate and integrated into a healthy lifestyle are likely to earn more than abstainers and heavy drinkers.
A focus on drinking patterns provides a sound basis for prevention and alcohol policy development.
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Policies that address drinking patterns allow individuals at particular risk for harm to be identified. This makes it possible to develop prevention and intervention approaches that are specifically tailored to different needs
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The drinking patterns approach takes into account the role of alcohol in different societies, allowing the development of culturally appropriate approaches to policy.
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A focus on patterns allows balanced policy approaches that encourage responsible drinking patterns and discourage irresponsible and harmful ones.
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