The range and magnitude of alcohol's harm to others

Abstract

There is a large body of epidemiological literature describing the relationship between alcohol consumption and a range of health conditions including high blood pressure, cancer and liver disease. Reviews have also demonstrated the negative impact alcohol has socially; it is an important factor in crime and disorder, family and marital problems, adverse childhood experiences and reduced workplace productivity through premature death, absenteeism or presenteeism. Increasingly, evidence is demonstrating the detrimental effect of alcohol to people other than the drinker. Considering these ‘harms to others’, or ‘second-hand effects’, can enable a more accurate measurement of the full burden of alcohol on society. Alcohol’s harm to others (AHTO) was identified as an area of interest by the alcohol expert forum of the Five Nations Health Improvement Network (England, Scotland, Wales, the Republic of Ireland [ROI] and Northern Ireland) and is the focus of this rapid review. There have been several reviews that have identified the wide range of harms to people from others drinking. The aim of the review was to describe the range and magnitude of AHTO from cross-sectional surveys. These surveys do not cover all AHTO, for example Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, therefore do not present a complete picture.