ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION VS DEATHS

According to one Russian scientist his country leads the world in Alcohol related deaths. Why would he say that if it were not true? Many other countries have Alcohol problems as severe as Russia's, so why isn't this reflected in the world rankings? See how your country ranks in the chart below...

The international standard for cause of death data is ICD-10. Without standardization cross cultural comparisons could not be made. But when it comes to ranking death rates for Alcohol the process appears to favor some countries over others in the world rankings. The ICD-10 code doesn't measure what you and I think of as a death caused by alcohol, it measures Alcohol Abuse Disorders, which includes everything from violence to heart disease. There is little doubt expanding how we measure the role Alcohol plays in our lives is a good thing, but the countries that follow the reporting rules shouldn't pay the price for those who don't, especially for something like Alcohol. Leading the world in Alcohol related deaths is embarrassing. It strikes at the "heart and soul" of a country's reputation. Several countries appear to rank higher than they deserve because they didn't make adjustments to their data to protect their image. In order to have meaningful international standards everyone must play by the same rules. If Alcohol is a disease of the body then where does the chain of abuse begin if not with consumption?

High consumption does not automatically mean high death rates, how the alcohol is consumed is a factor. The consumption data below includes WHO recorded and unrecorded consumption which is seldom published, but is far more accurate. Anyone who believes El Salvador has a more severe Alcohol problem than Russia just isn't paying attention. More about Russia's alcohol problem here: Russia's Poison Problem