The increase in alcohol consumption by Cypriots of all ages and especially by teenagers has been observed during recent years and the Cyprus National Addictions Authority is taking action to implement programmes to deal with the matter.
The percentage of over-consumption of alcohol by students has been deemed as particularly worrying, while focus is being placed on the increasing rate being recorded by female students.
The data recorded in the Authority’s annual report that was recently delivered to the President of the Republic reflects a concrete image represented by the Cypriot society.
Of particular concern is the number of people of all ages who have applied for treatment due to their dependence on alcohol.
Based on the data recorded in the annual report of the Authority, 273 people applied for treatment due to alcohol abuse in 2016.
In its annual report, the Authority also analyses the data of individuals who have applied for and received treatment.
As recorded in this analysis, seven out of ten people who requested treatment were male. “The median age of these people was 47 years old, which places them in the middle and senior aged category.”
It should be noted that there were people aged between 18 and 74 year old among those who sought treatment.
The report also refers to the findings of the latest survey on alcohol consumption rates in Cyprus.
Specifically, with regard to the general population and in comparison to the results of previous surveys, the following was observed:
It was estimated that about 10% of the population has been drunk in the last 12 months and about 3% said it had been drunk in the last month. However, in comparison to previous years, there is a reduction in drunkenness. Additionally, one in about five people (22.6%) reported excessive consumption during the last month.
During the last few years of the survey (2012-2016) a decrease in the percentage of people who had driven after alcohol consumption was recorded.
It also appeared that the older people were, the smaller the percentage of those who proceeded to this behavior.
Using the ‘Brief Detection of Alcohol Abuse’ tool, it was estimated that at least 2.5% of the population is dependent on alcohol.
With regard to Cypriots’ perception of alcohol and relevant policies, people were generally prepared to support restrictive policies that have to do with more stringent traffic measures. Nevertheless, Cyprus is among the countries with the highest percentage of citizens who do not consider the risk of driving after the consumption of two or more drinks.
