The alcohol harm paradox: what it is and possible causes of this phenomenon

The alcohol harm paradox is a strange phenomenon associated with people's social class.

It is no mystery that alcohol is a substance that our body does not need but, in spite of this, we all drink it, whether we are rich or poor.

Despite this reality, it seems that the wealthier classes have fewer negative effects associated with drinking compared to the poorer classes, the ones who get the worst dish, why is this?

This strange situation is called the alcohol harm paradox and, although ironic at first, it seems that there is quite a lot of sense behind its occurrence.

What is the alcohol harm paradox?

Alcohol consumption is a widespread habit in most Western societies. Everyone, rich and poor alike, drinks from time to time. Some may prefer beer and spirits, while others are more into wine, but either way alcohol consumption is a fairly common practice in any neighborhood. Most consume it for leisure, since that is the only function alcohol has, while others unfortunately drink because they have a serious alcoholism problem.

Alcohol is attributed to be behind 5% of disabilities and illnesses and 5% of deaths worldwide.. Although rich and poor consume it apparently equally, it is the latter who suffer the worst effects. It has been shown that people with low socioeconomic levels have more disorders and diseases attributed to alcohol consumption than people with high economic status or, in other words, the poor get sicker from drinking than the rich. This curious situation has been called the alcohol harm paradox.

This phenomenon occurs globally, and is present in any society where alcohol is not a banned substance. In fact, a recent meta-analysis (Boyd et al., 2021) mentions several studies conducted around the world, finding this effect in countries such as Finland, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands, among many others.

We can also find it in slightly earlier studies such as, for example, the one conducted by the Scottish government in 2015. In their study it was found that in the wealthiest 50% of households more than 45% of men drank at potentially harmful levels compared to 25% of men in the other halfeconomically more disadvantaged. Although in that particular survey it was the rich who drank the most, it was the poor who suffered the most alcohol-related illnesses.

The same Scottish research found that there were more alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations among the lower classes compared to the higher classes. In fact, the statistics showed that there were more deaths due to cirrhosis among the poorer population, a phenomenon that could be related not only to the effect of alcoholism but also to other drug dependencies.

Logically, we might think that people who consume more alcohol should suffer its worst effects, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, but how is it possible that, even if they can drink more alcohol, they are more likely to suffer the worst effects of alcoholism, regardless of whether they are rich or poor? how is it possible that even though they are able to drink more, the better-off classes are not as harmed by alcohol? This is the reason why it is called the alcohol harm paradox, since one might think that this substance is secretly applying some kind of discrimination according to the purchasing power of its consumer. Obviously, the answer is much more rational.

Why does this paradox occur?

Over the last decades, drug addiction experts have found explanations for this phenomenon. It seems that one of the most important factors explaining the paradox is the type of drinking behavior (sustained or binge drinking) and the number of units of alcohol per day. and the number of alcohol units per week. Those who binge drink large amounts of alcohol tend to suffer more damage at the organic level than people who drink regularly but more moderately, in low quantities.

This is where we find one of the main differences between rich and poor. People living in wealthy neighborhoods tend to consume alcohol, usually wine, very moderately and, although they may do it even every day, the fact that they do it in low doses means that the body is not put under too much stress. On the other hand, In the poorer neighborhoods it is common for the drinker, mostly of beer and spirits, to get drunk, consuming large quantities of alcohol in the consuming huge amounts of alcohol all at once, even if it is not every day. The latter type of consumption is especially harmful to the Heart and liver.

But the differences are not only explained by whether the drinker drinks compulsively or not. The harmful effects of alcohol are increased when other factors are present, factors that are especially common among the poorer classes, such as poor diet, higher percentage of overweight and less regular exercise. Added to all this, it has been found that in poor neighborhoods there are up to four times more chances of being a smoker than in a rich one.

Another explanation is that alcohol is more readily available in poorer neighborhoods.. It is not that it is difficult to obtain alcohol in rich neighborhoods, but rather that in poorer neighborhoods there is a greater presence of alcohol on the street, especially if we take into account that in this type of neighborhood there may be more than one bar on a street, supermarkets with a wide variety of drinks and even bakeries where beer is sold. The easier alcohol is to obtain, the more harm is associated with its consumption.

But to top it all off, there is one factor that explains very well why the poor suffer more from the effects of alcohol than the rich: access to health services. The wealthier classes can afford to see a psychologist, to be treated for their drug dependency problems, and also to receive treatment to prevent their liver, heart and other organs from long-term damage associated with alcohol consumption. Rehabilitation clinics are expensive and the poor simply cannot afford them.

Conclusions

The alcohol harm paradox has served as an insight that, although there is no causal relationship between poverty and alcohol consumption, it is necessary to understand the potential harms of alcohol consumption. it is necessary to understand the potential harms of this substance in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, where alcoholism is accompanied by alcoholism.where alcoholism is accompanied by other health problems such as sedentary lifestyles and smoking. These problems are more difficult to treat in poor neighborhoods because people find it more difficult to receive adequate assistance because they cannot afford it.

Alcohol consumption is increasing every year. It is necessary to understand the implications of the alcohol harm paradox in order to develop a prevention strategy in poor neighborhoods, areas where alcoholism is most harmful. Understanding how alcohol affects people living in poor neighborhoods can prevent alcoholism from becoming a widespread social problem, which would cause great economic losses to public administrations because of the associated illness and death.