Alcohol and injury in Poland: review and training recommendations

BACKGROUND: Alcohol plays a significant role in accidents, injuries, and their outcomes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 76.3 million people with alcohol use disorders worldwide; in 2000, 1.8 million deaths and loss of 58.3 million disability-adjusted life years were attributed to alcohol. METHODS: Although the association between alcohol consumption and trauma-related morbidity and mortality is well-documented, particularly in the US, there is much less information on trauma and alcohol in Poland, a country undergoing unprecedented economic and cultural changes stemming from entry into the European Union (EU) in the midst of a global recession. RESULTS: Injury is the third leading cause of death in Poland. Rates for all injuries in Poland are higher than in the rest of the EU. Alcohol is one of the greatest risk factors for disease and injury among men and one of the top ten health and injury risk factors for women. In this paper we review the last 10 years of research on injury and alcohol in Poland. CONCLUSION: Recommendations are provided for next steps with regard to training health care professionals in emergency medical settings to address this serious and growing problem.