Often placed low down in the listings when it comes to European averages, Portugal is up near the top when it comes to drinking.
In fact, the country is well over the limit – surpassed only by heavy-drinking nations of Eastern Europe and the tiny fun-loving principality of Andorra. This is despite a significant drop in overall alcohol consumption since 2003 (from 14.4 in 2003 to 12.9 litres per head in 2010).
The data comes from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which reports that Portugal’s pure alcohol consumption has dropped by almost two litres per head in the last decade. But it is still a long way from ideal.
With a European average of 10.9 litres per head, it’s a shock to hear that in Portugal, men drink an average per head of 18.7 litres of pure alcohol every year. Women, not surprisingly, lag well behind (drinking just 7.6 litres) – but it is with the health consequences of all this drinking that WHO is most concerned. Side effects involve up to 200 diseases and cancers, it claims.
Heavy drinking can also lead to violence and injuries, explains WHO, as well as leaving consumers open to infectious diseases like TB and pneumonia.
One positive piece of data involves the number of teetotallers in Portugal. This is also above the European average, says WHO, with as much as 43% of the population having not touched a drop of alcohol for the past decade.
