ALCOHOL AND THE FUTURE HEALTH OF EUROPE

The impact of alcohol consumption on trend; in the European health sit uation is analysed Particular attention is given to the impact of alco hol on the widening of the East-West health gap in Europe. It is concl uded that between 1950-75 the negative health impact of a rapid increa se in per capita alcohol consumption in most European countries was hi dden behind a strong positive development in many other socio-economic determinants of health. Between 1980 and 1995, health trends have bee n more closely parallel to trends in alcohol consumption. Changes in a lcohol consumption explain a significant proportion of changes in life expectancy, particularly in the newly independent states of the forme r Soviet Union. Public health policy on alcohol, as part of a general development of public health policies outside the health sector, is im portant in reducing the East-West health gap and sustaining the positi ve health trend in western Europe.