Malaga, Aug 8 (EFE)
Free time, tourism, the heat and holidays are some of the factors that experts link to the increase in alcohol consumption during the summer, a time when risks increase and the perception of them decreases.
The dangers usually associated with alcohol consumption multiply in summer due to variables typical of this season such as heat or prolonged exposure to the sun, as explained by the spokesperson of the Professional Association of Dietitians-Nutritionists of Andalusia (Codinan), Antonio Zoido.
“At the kidney level, we urinate much more. In addition, alcohol increases body temperature, so we sweat more, but at the same time it lowers the sensation of heat, which means that in this situation of fluid loss we feel less need to drink water and the risk of dehydration increases,” he indicated.
Zoido warned that these physiological effects must be added to the reduction in the perception of danger, one of the most relevant, which is closely linked to the increase in the number of traffic accidents and drownings during the summer period.
“In summer it seems that this appreciation of risks and reality diminishes, it becomes distorted. Perhaps it’s due to the holidays or because we think that everything is allowed. It seems that anything goes in summer,” he reflected.
Zoido reminded everyone that alcohol is a carcinogen – a cancer-causing substance – recognized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization, which also states that “the only risk-free consumption is zero consumption.”
Alcohol-free alternatives
The president of Cerveros de España, Jacobo Olalla, has stressed that the consumption of this beverage in the country “has nothing to do with the ‘hooliganism'” of other parts of Europe, but rather “is part of the culture”.
He believes that in Spain alcohol is associated with a “shared, social experience.” “When Spanish consumers drink beer, we’re not looking for the alcohol content, but rather for socializing, refreshment, the bitterness, an aperitif, and tapas.”
However, Olalla has acknowledged non-alcoholic beverages as a preventative alternative to excessive consumption.
The president of the business association pointed out that Spain is a leader in the production and consumption of non-alcoholic beer, and that more of it is produced in the European country than in the entire Latin American region.
On the other hand, Miriam Cabezón, director of the Proyecto Hombre Málaga outpatient treatment center, has argued that the “external stimulus” of drinking a non-alcoholic beer is “the same” as that of a regular one.
More publicity
Belén Pardo, president of Proyecto Hombre Málaga, has linked the deep-rooted use of alcohol in the way citizens interact with the fact that Spain is one of the world’s largest producers of alcoholic beverages, and has pointed to the lack of education and awareness related to consumption as one of the causes of addictions.
“Absolutely all celebrations are marked by alcohol, and those who decide not to drink are the ones who have to give explanations,” he said.
According to Pardo, the “social and personal well-being” character of alcohol “facilitates” that “much more” is consumed.
She believes children need to be taught, both at home and at school, that “there are leisure activities that don’t involve alcohol consumption.” “Without consumption or consumerism,” she emphasized, adding that parents and teachers also need specific training to educate them.
Proyecto Hombre Málaga has denounced the fact that both society and the media refer to “alcohol and drugs” as a single entity, since they believe that this “excludes alcohol from the group of drugs, making it seem less harmful than it is.”
