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Alcohol was behind almost 14,000 deaths in Spain in a single year, and the troubling part is just how many of those people died before their time. A new study from the National School of Public Health at the Carlos III Health Institute has found that nearly two out of every three alcohol related deaths in Spain occur prematurely, before the age of 75.

 

The research, published as part of a report covering 2001 to 2021, estimates that over 300,000 deaths attributable to alcohol occurred among people aged 15 and over during those two decades. In 2021 alone, the most recent year studied, 13,887 deaths were recorded, representing 3.3% of all deaths among the Spanish population aged 15 and over that year.

 

That figure sits alongside another familiar risk on Spanish roads. Just last December, traffic officials in the Region of Murcia revealed that almost half of drivers killed in accidents during 2024 had alcohol or drugs in their system, 19 of the 39 motorists who died.

 

The gender gap in the new findings is striking. Men accounted for 78.3% of alcohol attributable deaths, and their overall risk from drinking is four times higher than that of women. The impact was also sharpest among people aged 35 to 54, a group in which alcohol contributed to 9.7% of all deaths.

 

Cancer emerged as the leading cause, responsible for 5,805 deaths, followed by digestive diseases at 5,303 and external causes at 2,605. As the researchers point out, "the impact goes far beyond liver diseases, with a significant contribution to deaths from other pathologies."

 

There is some encouraging news buried in the figures too. The age standardised mortality rate fell by 34.7% between the early 2000s and 2021, a genuine improvement over two decades. Even so, the researchers are keen to stress that "despite this decrease, the burden remains high, highlighting the importance of maintaining strategies for preventing and reducing harm related to alcohol consumption."

 

Much of the damage, the study notes, comes down to excessive consumption, particularly among men, with clear differences persisting between regions of the country. The authors argue this makes continued prevention work essential, especially in areas where risk remains higher and progress has been slower.

 

It's a trend that sits in interesting contrast with another recent shift in Spanish drinking habits. Spain has become Europe's top market for non alcoholic beer, with sales up 4% in 2024 and alcohol free options now making up 14% of all beer sold nationally, a change industry figures link to growing health awareness and more moderate drinking, particularly among younger adults.

 

The study behind the mortality figures was led by researchers Marta Donat, Julieta Politi, Paule González-Recio, Gregorio Barrio and María José Belza, working alongside the Complutense University of Madrid and the Health Research Institute of the San Carlos University Clinical Hospital, with funding from the Government Delegation for the National Drug Plan.

 

 

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