Drinking Patterns and Problems in Emergency Services in Poland

AIMS: To examine drinking patterns and problems in emergency services in Poland, where both alcohol consumption and the health care system have undergone enormous recent change. METHODS: A probability sample of 734 emergency service patients was breathalyzed and interviewed in a large public hospital in Warsaw, Poland. RESULTS: 2.5% of the sample was breathalyzer positive; all were male and injured. Injured males were significantly more likely to report heavy problem drinking than non-injured, but no differences were found for females. Among injured males who reported drinking prior to the event, close to 50% reported feeling drunk, and over 75% attributed a causal association of their drinking with injury. CONCLUSIONS: These data point to substantial alcohol-involvement on the part of injured males in this population, and suggest emergency services may be a productive venue for identifying those patients who would benefit from a brief intervention.