Comparison of Alcohol-related Death Rates in Türkiye According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) Data with Countries Included in European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT) Data

Purpose: Alcohol consumption can cause death, various diseases and permanent disabilities. The harmful effects of alcohol consumption are a significant public health problem. Excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence are conditions that cause significant health problems affecting 10% of the US and Europe. Methods: In this study, the most up-to-date data on alcohol-related death rates from the EUROSTAT website for the years 2011-2021 and from the TURKSTAT for the years 2011-2023 were used. EUROSTAT had data for 37 countries. The Microsoft Office 365 Excel program was used to calculate averages and create graphs. The relevant years are the years with the most up-to-date data. Results: According to EUROSTAT data, the countries with the highest alcohol-related death rates among 37 countries between 2011 and 2021 were Slovenia, Denmark, and Latvia. The lowest alcohol-related death rates were observed in Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Albania. It is observed that this rate is low in Türkiye. According to the 2011-2023 data of the Turkish Statistical Institute, while the alcohol-related death rate was high in 2011 and 2012, it decreased towards 2023. Studies conducted show that alcohol directly and indirectly causes death, and alcohol-related mortality rates are at a significant level. Conclusion: When reporting deaths, providing detailed explanations of the causes of death or supporting deaths with autopsy findings will be useful in identifying alcohol-related deaths. Intervention actions to reduce alcohol consumption should be developed, existing policies should be revised, or new policies should be created to reduce alcohol consumption.