Practical experiences and lessons with ER studies in Argentina

CREMONTE, M.

Alcohol and Injuries: Emergency Department Studies in an International Perspective

Center for Disease Control World Health Organization

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2009; p. 235 - 238

Introduction: In Argentina there have been only two national studies evaluating alcohol consumption in the general population (Míguez, 1999; SEDRONAR, 2004); those, along with Argentina?s participation in the WHO GENACIS project (WHO, 2005) provide the only available evidence of drinking habits among the general population. From these studies a high prevalence of drinking in a Mediterranean pattern was observed, with adults consuming alcohol in a daily basis. Argentina has been traditionally a wine producing country, possessing mainly a wine drinking culture that originated from the influence of Spanish and Italian immigrants. Within this culture tradition, alcoholic beverages have been mainly associated with their nutritional value, consumed in the family table along with the meals and not strongly connected to their psychoactive effects. Although the consumption of wine still surpasses the consumption of other alcoholic beverages, there has been a rapid and sharp increase in beer consumption (Tendencias Económicas, 2002).This increase is probably associated with a change in the drinking pattern occurring among new generations, including, for example, switching.