Is Hungary really a world-leading country in alcoholism?
Drinking is a problematic habit in Hungary, but does it really affect as many people in population proportion as a new map suggests?
The World Population Review webpage has published a clickable map showing the percentage of the population affected by alcoholism in each country this year, but as telex.hu reports it could be misleading.
The page states that Hungary tops the list of the top 10 countries with the highest rates of alcohol abuse disorder/alcoholism, with 21.2 percent of the Hungarian population affected in 2023. It also states that Hungary has the highest rates of alcoholism in males in joint first place with Russia at 36.9 percent.
But how could a relatively small webpage gather accurate data for 2023 if it’s only April? Well, it couldn’t. As telex.hu points out, the report is misleading, as it presents data from the WHO from 2016 as if it was gathered in 2023.
Still, the 2016 data is accurate and with the trend that sociologists and addictologists identify is an alarming one, as there was no sign of change in drinking habits in Hungary since 2016.
Old data is not wrong data
Qubit.hu writes that the last comprehensive survey of the Hungarian population’s drinking problems was conducted in 2019, and the results were published in 2021 in the volume entitled Addiction Problems in Hungary.
Sociologist Borbála Paksi and addiction specialist Zsolt Demetrovics write that in 2018, 12 percent of men and only 1 percent of women in Hungary was classified as problematic drinker.
The proportion of survey respondents who had drunk alcohol at least weekly in the month prior to the survey was significantly higher. A quarter of the adult population – 40 percent of men and roughly 10 percent of women indicated that they consumed alcohol in a weekly manner.
Qubit also reports that according to a 2020 study, the proportion of severely alcohol-dependent people in Hungary is close to 10 percent, compared to the 3.7 percent average in the European Union.
This figure clearly shows that even if the World Population Review map is not the most recent one, it illustrates the systemic social problems, and it is no coincidence that Hungary is pictured as a large blue patch in the middle of Europe.
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3 Comments
If other countries had our FIDESZ/KDNP as their government, and our PM as theirs for this long, no doubt they would be on par with us. 😀
But, in all seriousness, it’s bad, and let’s not even mention obesity and associated diseaes due to our consumption of lard.
It’s an on-going ROBUST discussion, within the area of Medicine Globally, especially in Mental Health, effects of Alcoholism on life and health quality, that the CURING of Alcoholism is of a greater difficulty, than the CURING of humans addicted to illicit Drugs.
Simple explained, the attainment ease in which we can acquire Alcohol in our daily lives.
Hungary, no different than vastness of other major global countries, with sizeable population number than Hungary, the EASE to acquire Alcohol over 24 hours of the day, is QUESTIONABLE if this availability is Right or Wrong.
Those that NEED have an addiction to a illicit Drug or a Drug lets call it of Dependence, the “ease” to get a hit or fix, has far greater overall CHALLENGES than to purchase Alcohol.
Governments – make BILLIONS of Forints from the taxes on the sale of Alcohol.
Robust continues in discussion and opinions – that from the taxes Governments receive from the sale of Alcohol and Tobacco, that there is a MASSIVE imbalance, of the money pocketed by Governments, being used INVESTED into the treatment, the Medical facilities – that treat Alcoholism and Drug addiction, through the taxes of the people paid, and what Governments POCKET in taxes from the sale of Alcohol and Tobacco.
Hungary – we DRINK big, we Smoke Big – we have rapid growing numbers amongst us, that are “using” drugs of illicit production and are or becoming DEPENDENT on drugs.
In our personal Head Space – our country in a humongous “black hole” from an Economic & Financial perspective.
Hungarians – in millions of us, the daily pressure we are faced with GROW.
History tells us for it NEVER Lies – in times Hungary we are in – the seeking of relief or escaping the place our lives have reached are in or heading to-wards, humans SEEK an alternative – to BLOCK there Pain & misery – the place there lives are in.
Hungary – this is a DEEPENING illness we have as a country – from a POLITICAL perspective – from the Orban Government having been in Power 13 years – and not INVESTED into Alcoholism nor Drug usage within civilian life.
Through lack of Investment from the Orban Government – we are faced with percentage wise dependency of Alcoholism and Drugs of Dependency – Hungarians – growing as a Society nightmare.
Family values he talks Orban – what about the DESTRUCTION to Families being caused by abusive use of Alcohol and Drugs?
WHAT about Orban – the lack of facilities that are part of Public Health Services – the lack of facilities to treat ADDICTIONS or illnesses as they are being Alcohol and Drug use abuse ?
Hospitals – Public Health Services and Facilities just like Education – standards through the DOINGS decisions and direction of Orban and his Government – lack of or NO Investment – standards that are aligned to that of 3rd World country standards – DIABOLICAL.
Its ALL in Hungary, because Orban and his Government have NO money to INVEST in the areas I write and refer in this commentary – going to intensify increase in Hungarian Society – Sadly and WRONGFULLY.
Each person decides for himself /herself what level or respect they have for their immediate family & their own body. All lifestyle choices are within our control as adults. Self destruction or self improvement. No excuses. Misuse of money for drugs of any kind does not improve any situation, but certainly causes terrible problems. And no one who smokes or drinks should get free healthcare.
The downside of Hungary is that people whine about how hard life is & yet have money for booze & smokes & travel? So are they lying to themselves as an excuse to behave irresponsibly? Like despicable poor people using poverty to excuse drink or commit crimes. How do those actions help improve personal economic situation compared to learning new skills or working more? One thing that society as a group can change overnight is to only offer a drink to guests 1 time. Not the normal practice of bullying people by repeatedly insisting that they accept a drink (or food). I always hated that pushy rude behavior amongst friends & relatives.