Non-drinkers to suffer in many cases from the effects of alcohol consumption: In the field of road traffic drunk drivers cause deadly accidents, acts of violence, often alcohol, and drinking mothers are harming their unborn children. With the “passive drinking” is concerned, a study by the Munich Institute for therapy research (IFT), which was published on Tuesday in the journal “BMC Medicine”.
The scientists Ludwig Kraus estimated on the basis of the international overview studies that in the year 2014 in Germany for 12,650 babies came in with a Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) to the world, including nearly 3000 with a Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) as a full expression of the disorder. The children are part of short stature and have abnormalities in the face. Their motor skills are limited, they show disturbances in behavior, memory functions, attention and learning ability. Alcohol consumption is also to uninvolved third parties is a risk, concludes Kraus. “This is analogous to passive Smoking.”
“For Germany, the Figures have been underestimated so far”
The researchers had evaluated in addition to the international overview studies a study of the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, which was based on interviews of mothers. Thus, were born out of 10,000 children, 177 with FASD. The researchers counted the number of 715.000 births in Germany. “For Germany, the Figures have been underestimated so far,” said Kraus. Here, FAS and FASD are not even the only possible consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
The number of people Affected is difficult to capture, since the development of lesions would often not identified until later. Since the diseases are not reportable, there are no statistics. There are FAS or FASD cases, which are not recognized. “Many children have the disorder, but they are not diagnosed as having these disorders,” said Kraus. While it is likely to not pay by increasing the case, because alcohol consumption seems to be declining in Germany, said Kraus. Nevertheless, he called for more prevention.
Problem Alcohol Abuse
For intoxicated motorists there had to be more sensitive to the penalties, said Kraus. Traffic controls would have to be intensified. Of 2675 people who died in 2014 through no fault of the road, were in operation 1214, the victims of Alcohol, mostly as a passenger or pedestrian.
Also acts of violence were often committed under the influence of alcohol. 368 homicides were under the influence of alcohol in 55 of the cases, the perpetrator. In cases where offenders have been as ready to use violence-known, and can be operated with therapy, prevention, so that they can remain under the influence of alcohol to violence-free.
Measures such as the pricing policy or the restriction of marketing of alcoholic beverages to be unpopular, but would help to reduce the damage to third parties. Ultimately, the benefit to the consumers themselves. Alcohol abuse is worldwide, cases is the fourth most common cause of disease and death. Abusive alcohol consumption increased the risk for numerous types of cancer.
