Jurgen Rehm

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

In the European Union the per capita alcohol consumption among adults (15+ years) in 2019 was twice the world average, with one in 19 adults dying from alcohol-attributable causes, and three out of every 10 alcohol-attributable deaths due to cancers. WHO endorses alcohol labelling as a policy option to reduce alcohol-related harm. This can involve...

Worldwide, in 2020, an estimated 741 300 new cancer cases were attributable to alcohol consumption. This represents 4.1% of all new cancer cases, 6.1% among men and 2.0% among women. A Working Group of 15 independent international experts, convened by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) from February to May 2023, evaluated the b...

Zielsetzung: Ausgehend von der Veröffentlichung der dritten Ausgabe des Buchs „Alkohol: Kein gewöhnliches Konsumgut“ haben die Autor_innen die Umsetzung kosteneffektiver alkoholpolitischer Maßnahmen in Deutschland bewertet. Methodik: Aktuelle gesetzliche Regelungen und Praktiken zu Maßnahmen aus vier Bereichen wurden gesichtet: (1) Preispolitische...

This report summarizes the empirical evidence of the effects of legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes

Background High-risk alcohol use is an established modifiable risk factor for dementia. However, prior reviews have not addressed sex differences in alcohol-related dementia risk. In this systematic review, we take a sex-specific perspective towards the alcohol-dementia link, taking into account the age of dementia onset. Methods We searched elect...

Objective To assess the immediate impact of the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in Scotland on alcohol consumption and whether the impact differed by sex, level of alcohol consumption, age, social grade and level of residential deprivation of respondents. Design Primary controlled interrupted time series analysis and secondary before-an...

Objectives As unrecorded alcohol use contributes to a substantial burden of disease, this study characterises this phenomenon in newly independent states (NIS) of the former Soviet Union with regard to the sources of unrecorded alcohol, and the proportion of unrecorded of total alcohol consumption. We also investigate associated sociodemographic ch...

Background Alcohol use can increase the risk of at least seven different cancer types. We present regional and national estimates of alcohol-attributable cancer burden in 2020 to inform alcohol policy and cancer control in Europe. Methods In this population-based study, we calculated population attributable fractions (PAFs) using relative risk est...

Background: The diverse forms of unrecorded alcohol, defined as beverage alcohol not registered in official statistics in the country where it is consumed, comprise about one fourth of all alcohol consumed worldwide. Since unrecorded alcohol is usually cheaper than registered commercial alcohol, a standard argument against raising alcohol excise t...

Im aktuellen Besteuerungsmodell werden Bier und Wein deutlich subventioniert. Der Anstieg der Erschwinglichkeit alkoholischer Getränke in der letzten Dekade hätte durch eine einheitliche und an Veränderungen des Haushalteinkommens angepasste Steuerpolitik verhindert werden können. Europäische Nachbarländer zeigen, dass der Konsum von Alkohol und di...

Aims The aim of this contribution was to estimate the impact of the last significant alcohol taxation increase in Lithuania in 2017 on alcohol consumption, incident cancer cases, and cancer mortality, as well as the number of cancer outcomes that could have potentially been averted in 2018 had larger increases in alcohol excise taxation been applie...

This chapter describes epidemiological aspects of substance use disorders. It begins with a narrative review of the transition from substance use to a substance use disorder. A methodological introduction into global burden of disease estimates for substance use disorders follows, and finally, this chapter reports on regional differences on burden...

In most epidemiological literature, harmful drinking—a drinking pattern recognized as closely linked to alcohol-attributable diseases—is recorded using the measure risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD), which is based on drinking above a certain quantity. In contrast, subjective intoxication (SI) as an alternative measure can provide additional inf...

This fact sheet provides up-to-date information and guidance on the links between alcohol and a range of cancers, including some of the most common types, such as female breast cancer and colorectal cancer, for those involved in designing and implementing policies that affect public health. It sets out policy options to reduce the alcohol-attributa...

Cette fiche d'information apporte de nouveaux renseignements et de nouvelles directives sur les liens entre alcool et différents cancers, y compris certains des types les plus courants, tels que le cancer du sein et le cancer colorectal, à l’intention de ceux qui élaborent et mettent en œuvre des politiques de santé publique. Elle présente égalemen...

В данном информационном бюллетене, адресованном тем, кто занимается выработкой и осуществлением мер политики в области охраны общественного здоровья, представлена обновленная информация и рекомендации в отношении связей между употреблением алкоголя и целым рядом видов рака, в том числе таких распространенных, как рак молочной железы у женщин и коло...

Issues The last Soviet anti‐alcohol campaign of 1985 resulted in considerably reduced alcohol consumption and saved thousands of lives. But once the campaign's policies were abandoned and the Soviet alcohol monopoly broken up, a steep rise in mortality was observed in many of the newly formed successor countries, although some kept their monopolies...

докладе освещаются итоги первого рабочего совещания ВОЗ по вопросам реализации алкогольной политики в странах Содружества Независимых Государств (СНГ) , которое состоялось 4 и 5 декабря 2019 г. в Москве, Российская Федерация. Страны СНГ можно считать «первопроходцами» в осуществлении наиболее экономически эффективных мер по сокращению потребления а...

This report highlights the main outcomes of a first WHO workshop on the implementation of alcohol policies in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which took place on the 4-5 December 2019 in Moscow, Russian Federation. CIS countries can be seen as "first movers" in implementing the most cost-effective policies to reduce a...

Основные принципы принятия мер, направленных на решение проблемы COVID-19 среди лиц, употребляющих наркотики Необходимо обеспечить непрерывное и стабильное лечение, предоставление медицинских услуг, а также социальной защиты и реабилитации, в том числе контролируемый доступ к наркотическим веществам в медицинских целях. Услуги, связанные с наркоти...

There were 271 million people estimated to have used illicit drugs in 2017, while 35 million had a drug-use disorder. People who use drugs (PWUD), including those with drug-use disorders, are a marginalized and stigmatized population group that is particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Use of illicit drugs is often associated with un...

Study protocol for the Alcohol Use and COVID-19 Survey, available online on the DEEP SEAS website: https://www.deep-seas.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Study-protocol-COVALC_Sept.20_DEEPSEAS.pdf

Европейский регион ВОЗ занимает первое место в мире по уровню потребления алкоголя на душу населения, однако размещение информации на этикетках алкогольной продукции – рекомендуемая ВОЗ мера по предоставлению потребителям информации о составе, пищевой ценности и опасности алкогольных напитков – в странах Региона не является обязательным. В докладе...

Background Individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES) experience disproportionately greater alcohol-attributable health harm than individuals with high SES from similar or lower amounts of alcohol consumption. Our aim was to provide an update of the current evidence for the role of alcohol use and drinking patterns in socioeconomic inequalitie...

The literature on non-genetic peripheral biomarkers for major mental disorders is broad, with conflicting results. An umbrella review of meta-analyses of non-genetic peripheral biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia, including first-episode psychosis. We incl...

After decades of increasing life expectancy in the United States, recent years have shown a stagnation and even a slight decrease (Woolf and Schoomaker, 2019). Alcohol use has repeatedly been identified as a possible underlying culprit (e.g. (Rehm and Probst, 2018)), but the recent analysis by White and colleagues provides a detailed and comprehens...

Background Alcohol use has increased globally, with varying trends in different parts of the world. This study investigates gender, age, and geographical differences in the alcohol-attributable burden of disease from 2000 to 2016. Methods This comparative risk assessment study estimated the alcohol-attributable burden of disease. Population-attrib...

Background The German Guideline on Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders aims to increase the uptake of evidence-based interventions for the early identification, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of alcohol-related disorders in relevant healthcare settings. To date, dissemination has not been accompanied by a guideline impl...

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to assess the associations between dynapenia and the onset and persistence of depression and anxiety among older adults. Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled community-living older adults (N = 5271; 51.1% females) aged ≥ 50 years (mean age = 63.2, standard deviation = 9.0) from The Irish Longi...

Background Illicit drug use rates are high among Canadian youth, and are particularly pronounced in Northern Ontario. The availability and accessibility of effective substance use-related treatments and services are required to address this problem, especially among rural and remote Northern communities. In order to assess specific service and trea...

Background Early detection of risky alcohol use and severe alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is crucial to avoid adverse health consequences. The German “Guidelines on Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders” recommend to routinely screen patients for hazardous alcohol use and to subsequently conduct brief interventions, for example...

Background: Over the last decade Russia has introduced various policy measures to reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm at the population level. Several of these policies, such as higher pricing and taxation or restrictions of availability, may not work in the case of unrecorded alcohol consumption; they may encourage consumers to sw...

Alcohol policy endorsements have changed over time, probably interacting with the implementation and effectiveness of alcohol policy measures. The Standardized European Alcohol Survey (SEAS) evaluated public opinion toward alcohol policies in 20 European locations (19 countries and one subnational region) in 2015 and 2016 (n = 32,641; 18–64 years)....

Using Canadian survey data, Callaghan and colleagues examined the distribution of cannabis quantities after converting reported quantities of different cannabis products into standard joint equivalents. We argue that the assumed amount of 0.5 g dried cannabis flowers unlikely represents a usual dose in average consumers. Moreover, some conversion f...

Background: The use of illicit and prescription drugs for non-medical purposes among youth and young adults living in Northern Ontario communities is a major public health concern. This problem is amplified in that there is insufficient knowledge on the types of services and treatment centers available for and utilized by young people with substanc...

Background: The lack of universally accepted diagnostic criteria and the high rate of psychiatric comorbidity make it difficult to diagnose Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). In an effort to improve the diagnosis of FASD, the current study aimed to identify a neurodevelopmental profile that is both sensitive and specific to FASD. Methods: A...

The object of this contribution based on a systematic review of the literature is to examine to what degree the level of use and potency play a role in regulatory policies for alcohol, other psychoactive substances and gambling, and whether there is an evidence base for this role. Level of use is usually defined around a behavioural pattern of the...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze trends in alcohol consumption and mortality and their association with alcohol control measures in Russia between 1990 and 2017. Method: Analysis of trends for all-cause mortality and alcohol-related mortality, life expectancy, and total adult per capita alcohol consumption and their relationship...

Alcohol consumption has long been recognized as one of the main driving factors of mortality in the Russian Federation, especially among men of working age. The introduction of various evidence-based alcohol control measures at the beginning of the 2000s resulted in a decrease in all-cause mortality, with the most pronounced relative changes occurr...

We did a global review to synthesise data on the prevalence, harms, and interventions for stimulant use, focusing specifically on the use of cocaine and amphetamines. Modelling estimated the effect of cocaine and amphetamine use on mortality, suicidality, and blood borne virus incidence. The estimated global prevalence of cocaine use was 0·4% and a...

Preliminary findings of the SCALA study in determining the impact on disease burden by implementing screening rates in three Latin American countries.

Presenting results of assessing the provision of health care for people with risky alcohol use and severe alcohol use disorders in the state of Bremen, Germany

Cannabis policies are changing globally, and medical marijuana programs are part of these changes. Drawing from the examples of two high-income (Canada, an early adopter of medical marijuana, and Germany, a late adopter) and one middle-income (Thailand) countries, we illustrate two main pressures underlying these recent changes. First, in many high...

The latest revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐11) is slated for publication in mid‐2019 and will include a revised definition for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and, more specifically, for alcohol dependence and the “harmful patterns of alcohol use.” In a recent issue, Saunders and colleagues (Saunders et al., 2019) reviewe...

Per capita alcohol consumption in the WHO European Region, including the European Union (EU), is the highest in the world, which results in proportionally higher levels of burden of disease attributable to alcohol use compared to other regions. While there have been welcome improvements in terms of overall mortality and alcohol-attributable mortali...

Aims: To study the impact of alcohol control policy measures (i.e., increases in taxation, restrictions on availability including minimum purchasing age regulations, legislation on drink driving, and advertisement bans) on alcohol-related traffic harm in Lithuania between January 2004 and February 2019. Design: Analyses of trend data on the prop...

Hintergrund In der S3-Leitlinie „Screening, Diagnose und Behandlung alkoholbezogener Störungen“ wird die routinemäßige Anwendung von Screeningverfahren sowie die anschließende Durchführung von Kurzinterventionen bei Personen mit riskantem Alkoholkonsum empfohlen. Für Personen mit einer schweren Alkoholkonsumstörung sind laut Leitlinie Entzugsbehand...

Objectives: To systematically summarize the risk relationship between different levels of alcohol consumption and incidence of liver cirrhosis. Methods: MEDLINE and Embase were searched up to March 6, 2019, to identify case-control and cohort studies with sex-specific results and more than 2 categories of drinking in relation to the incidence of...

Alcohol use disorders consist of disorders characterised by compulsive heavy alcohol use and loss of control over alcohol intake. Alcohol use disorders are some of the most prevalent mental disorders globally, especially in high-income and upper-middle-income countries; and are associated with high mortality and burden of disease, mainly due to med...

Both personality disorders (PD) and cannabis use are highly comorbid with various psychiatric disorders. While previous research indicates specific interactions between cannabis use and schizotypal PD associated with schizophrenia, research into cannabis use among individuals with other PDs and the development of several additional psychiatric diso...

Alcohol use leads to a substantial number of hospitalizations, and to increased health and social harms as well as economic costs in Ontario and across Canada. The effects of alcohol price changes on consumption and resulting harms have been firmly established; changes in the minimum price of alcohol have the greatest effect on consumption among pe...

Background: Alcohol and drug use can have negative consequences on the health, economy, productivity, and social aspects of communities. We aimed to use data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2016 to calculate global and regional estimates of the prevalence of alcohol, amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, and op...

Background: Population-based data regarding the epidemiology of hallucinogen use and co-occurring psychiatric disorders is largely absent from the literature. We aim to present findings on the prevalence, sociodemographic correlates, psychiatric comorbidity, treatment utilization, social support and associated disability of hallucinogen use using...

In this study, we explored patterns and clinical correlates of cannabis use among individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Data were obtained from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (2004-2005). Psychiatric disorders were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disab...

Objective: To systematically review studies examining the longitudinal associations between cannabis use and symptomatic outcomes among individuals with an anxiety or mood disorder at baseline. Data sources: A search of the literature up to May 2017 was conducted using several databases. Search terms related to the exposure (ie, cannabis) and ou...

Background Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to numerous adverse health consequences for both the developing fetus and mother. We estimated the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy by country, WHO region, and globally and the proportion of pregnant women who smoked during pregnancy, by frequency and quantity, on a global level. Methods Fo...

Aims This review provides an up‐to‐date curated source of information on alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use and their associated mortality and burden of disease. Limitations in the data are also discussed, including how these can be addressed in the future. Methods Online data sources were identified through expert review. Data were mainly obt...

The legalization of non-medical cannabis use and supply is impending in Canada. This constitutes a major policy change with the declared objective of improving public health outcomes, which requires rigorous monitoring and evaluation. While numerous different aspects associated with legalization will be examined, a focused perspective is required f...

Background: Numerous interventions aimed at addressing the Canadian 'opioid crisis' have been implemented. However, no empirical estimaes of the number of people with problematic prescription opioid (PO) use exist to inform and guide intervention system needs. Methods: The annual numbers of Canadian adults (≥ 15 years) with PO misuse and/or use...

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Through a simulation study, we estimated the potential effects of better detection of hypertension and improved screening for alcohol problems with subsequent interventions. Results showed that if 50% of Spanish males between 40 and 64 years of age who are currently unaware of their hypertension become aware of their condition and receive the usual...

In Canada, opioid-related overdose mortality has steeply increased in recent years; as a substantial number of opioid-related deaths are related to 'fentanyl' products, this phenomenon has widely been dubbed the 'fentanyl epidemic', also implying that these deaths are largely caused by clandestinely 'illicit fentanyl' products. We examined numbers...

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of risk factor exposure and attributable burden of disease. By providing estimates over a long time series, this study can monitor risk exposure trends critical to health surveillance and inform policy debates on the impo...

This is a duplicate entry for DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31833-0 (ResearchGate staff: Please remove this entry.)

Background: Monitoring levels and trends in premature mortality is crucial to understanding how societies can address prominent sources of early death. The Global Burden of Disease 2016 Study (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of cause-specific mortality for 264 causes in 195 locations from 1980 to 2016. This assessment includes evaluat...

Aims: To examine the cultural impact on the diagnosis of alcohol-use disorders using European countries as examples. Design: Narrative review. Results: There are strong cultural norms guiding heavy drinking occasions and loss of control. These norms not only indicate what drinking behaviour is acceptable, but also whether certain behaviours ca...

Background Evidence on diseases caused by or associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) has been based on two meta-analyses including rather dated studies. The objective of this contribution was to estimate the risks of all-cause mortality and alcohol-attributable disease categories depending on a diagnosis of AUDs in a national sample for France...

A broader understanding of the need for alcohol taxation and pricing policies by governments, public health personnel, and alcohol control policy advocates can lead to improvements in such policies. The design and implementation of appropriate alcohol taxation and pricing policies can maximize the potential for reductions in the health and social b...

Meta-analyses of alcohol use, alcohol dosage and alcohol-related problems as risk factors for tuberculosis incidence were undertaken. The global alcohol-attributable tuberculosis burden of disease was also re-estimated. Systematic searches were conducted, reference lists were reviewed and expert consultations were held to identify studies. Cohort a...

Alcohol consumption has a major but complex impact on cardiovascular diseases. Both irregular and chronic heavy drinking occasions detrimentally impact on most major cardiovascular disease categories, whereas light to moderate drinking has been associated with beneficial effects on ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke. Both detrimental and be...

Background: The global impact of alcohol consumption on deaths due to cardiomyopathy (CM) has not been quantified to date, even though CM contains a subcategory for alcoholic CM with an effect of heavy drinking over time as the postulated underlying causal mechanism. In this feasibility study, a model to estimate the alcohol-attributable fraction (...

Aims: 1. To quantify barriers to alcohol screening among hypertensive patients reported by primary healthcare professionals. 2. To examine whether education and screening frequency measures are associated with stigma-related barriers. Methods: A web survey was conducted among 3081 primary healthcare professionals from France, Germany, Italy, Spa...

Background: While primary health care (PHC)-based prevention and management of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is clinically effective and cost-effective, it remains poorly implemented in routine practice. Systematic reviews and multi-country studies have demonstrated the ability of training and support programmes to increase PHC-based screening and bri...

A decade ago, we queried the unfolding of a 'paradigm shift' in illicit opioid use in North America, specifically involving a shift away from heroin to prescription opioid (PO) use. Today, this situation is more acute than ever, with prescription opioid misuse, morbidity and mortality amounting to one of the most severe substance use-related public...

Introduction and aims: Given the limited nature of the evidence concerning longitudinal alcohol consumption patterns and health-related quality of life (HrQoL), this study examined these associations. Design and methods: Data were from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (waves 1 and 2). Multiple linear regression...

Background: Alcohol use during pregnancy is the direct cause of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). We aimed to estimate the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy and FAS in the general population and, by linking these two indicators, estimate the number of pregnant women that consumed alcohol during pregnancy per one case of FAS. Methods: We began...