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Mortality rates among working age men in Estonia are very high compared to other European Union (EU) states, accounting for the fact that male life expectancy at birth in Estonia is the second lowest in the EU after Latvia. A cross-sectional population survey carried out in 2004 showed that 84% of grown-up population in Estonia consume alcohol. The share of illegal alcohol among strong alcohols is 20-40%, the most frequent type of which is vodka, followed by home made spirits. Chemical analysis of the contents of the surrogate alcohols and illegal alcohol has shown that ethanol concentration in some of these is extremely high, and that some of these products contain toxic long-chain alcohols. The aims of the project are: 1) to understand what is the availability and chemical composition of illegal alcohols and surrogates in Estonia and 2) to establish the social and medical profile of working age men dying from causes directly related to alcohol. Study subjects are men aged 24-54 in Estonia. The project consists of three studies: study of the availability and consumption of illegal alcohols and surrogates, toxicology study and narrative interviews and medical records information. This is an exploratory study to obtain an overview and scope of the given public health problem, needed to undertake more specific investigations. |