Every 7th German has alcohol problems

Every seventh German has an alcohol problem. About 1.3 million people are alcohol dependent.

(24.06.2010) Alcohol is the number one drug in Germany and this is also reflected in the latest figures from the Federal Center for Health Education. For example, about 9.5 million people in Germany have a problem with alcohol because consumption takes place "in a health risky amount". About 1.3 million people between the ages of 18 and 64 suffer from alcohol addiction. Around two million people experience regular abuse of alcohol. Overall, the Germans drink on average twelve liters of pure alcohol per year. According to statistics, people in Luxembourg drink the most in Europe, where people drink an average of around 15.6 pure alcohol per year.

The consumption of alcohol is underestimated in Germany again and again, although per year about 15,000 people die as a result of alcohol dependence. The most common consequence of alcohol addiction is cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis of the liver is the final stage of chronic liver disease and can no longer be treated successfully despite individual reports.

In an alcohol addiction typical symptoms include the compulsion to drink, a progressive loss of control, neglecting previous interests in favor of alcoholism, withdrawal symptoms in consumption reduction such as tremors and sweats. The personality changes mostly in the course of addiction. Family members increasingly suffer from the addiction of their father or mother.

An alcohol addiction does not follow a uniform pattern. It is more of a creeping process that can last for years or decades. On average, it takes up to 12 years for an alcoholic to treat his addiction. Until then, a lot of time passes and the body builds up, the psyche and the health are sustainably damaged. Many people are therefore unaware of their dependence and deny alcohol dependence. For children and adolescents, alcohol is particularly harmful. The organs of children are not yet mature and mature, therefore alcohol can harm children and adolescents especially. (Sb)

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