It remains stable number of Italians who drink alcoholso much so as to put their health at risk. Also in 2022 there were 8 millionmore or less in line with the data of previous years and slightly decreasing compared to the period of the Covid pandemic. The data comes from the analysis of alcohol consumption in Italy drawn up byNational Alcohol Observatory of the Istituto Superiore di Sanitàwhich is updated every year.
Stable but worrying situation
«Alcohol consumption in Italy highlights a consolidated and worrying situation of increased risk that is spreading among the most vulnerable segments of the population: minors, adolescents, women and the elderly. It is necessary to intercept all at-risk consumers early and ensure that those with impairments and those dependent on alcohol are treated.” Emanuele Scafato he is director of the National Alcohol Observatory of the ISS.
Number of Italians who drink alcohol: all data from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità
If those at risk are 8 million, There are approximately 36 million alcohol consumers in our country. They are predominantly men – 77.4% of them drink – while among women just over half drink regularly, in percentage terms 57.5%. About 10.2 million drink alcohol every day, while reaching the 5 million those who habitually exceed the guidelines.
The phenomenon of binge drinking shows no signs of abating
They are estimated at 3.7 million binge drinkers, that is, those who drink with the declared aim of getting drunk. Here too, there is a clear prevalence of men, two out of three. In 2022, 39,590 visits to the emergency room were recorded with an increase of 12.1% compared to the previous year.
The phenomenon of binge drinking it is particularly dangerous. Drinking so much in such a short time – even six units of alcohol in half an hour – causes irreversible damage to the brain, as well as increasing the chances of falling into the cycle of addiction. The situation of minors is frightening more, because the brain is still in a consolidation phase.
The data on Italians who 770,000 people are under treatment for alcohol abuse. However, only 8.2% of them, around 63,000, are covered by the services of the national health system.