Key Points

• Alcohol consumption among 18- to 75-year-olds (Public Health France Barometer): In 2017, 12.6% of adults reported drinking alcohol every day, and 33% reported drinking weekly. These prevalence rates of alcohol consumption among adults in Occitanie were significantly higher than those in mainland France. Similarly, weekly wine consumption was higher in Occitanie than in mainland France. These consumption rates were higher among men than among women. Gender, age, income levels, and educational attainment were associated with daily alcohol consumption independently of other variables.

• ● Consumption among 17-year-olds (2017 Escapad Survey – OFDT): in 2017, 89.5% of young people had already consumed alcohol at least once in their lives; 18.7% consumed 6 or more drinks on a single occasion at least 3 times a month. These prevalence rates among 17-year-olds in Occitanie were significantly higher than those in mainland France.

• ● Alcohol-related emergency room visits (Oscour® – Santé publique France) In 2017, 14,562 emergency room visits were directly related to alcohol, averaging 40 visits per day, which represented 1.03% of all emergency room visits. Acute alcohol intoxication was the most common condition, followed by alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The rate of visits was higher among men (1.42%) than among women (0.62%) and was highest among those aged 46–60. Half (51.1%) of alcohol-related emergency department visits occurred between Friday and Sunday.

• Alcohol-related cancers: The incidence rates (2007–2016) and mortality rates (2007–2014) for cancers of the “lips, mouth, and pharynx,” “esophagus,” and “larynx” in Occitanie were lower than the national average and higher among men than among women. These rates varied from one department to another within our region.

• The cumulative mortality rate associated with the main alcohol-related conditions (cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, liver cirrhosis, alcohol-induced psychosis, and alcoholism) was 9.0 per 100,000 inhabitants among women and 36.4 among men. These rates were lower than those in other regions of metropolitan France.