“Alcohol consumption in Campo Grande: 22% of adults report excessive consumption”
Campo Grande News reports:
“A study by UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) points to an increase in alcohol consumption among Brazilians, especially among women, which rose from 7.7% to 15.2%. In Campo Grande, rates have varied over the last 17 years, reaching 22% in 2023, the last year with updated data. …
“As the data is based on information provided by the interviewees themselves, distortions may occur, since people do not always accurately report their consumption habits. Another point is that the study only covers residents of capital cities who have a telephone, which excludes part of the Brazilian population. …
“The survey considered excessive alcohol consumption in the 30 days prior to the survey. Vigitel, carried out by the Ministry of Health, will be expanded in 2025 to include cities in the interior of the country.”
Assessment
VIGITEL stands for: Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crô nicas por Inquérito Telefô nico (Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey). It’s a government survey that allows for the monitoring of temporal trends and accompanies policies that are priorities, such as tobacco control, reduction of alcohol use, and promotion of physical activity.
The latest VIGITEL results are an important contribution by the government to an informed public discourse and evidence-based alcohol policy making.
The latest findings confirm the need for urgent policy action to prevent and reduce alcohol harm in Brazil. The doubling of high-risk alcohol use among women reflects the industry’s targeted marketing to women and the normalisation of alcohol consumption among women and girls in recent years.
The worsening situation concerning women’s health due to alcohol is a serious public health challenge. The latest VIGITEL data provides alcohol policy advocates with fresh insights to expand the alcohol policy movement by including women’s health and rights groups.
This data can also be used to illustrate the growing burden of alcohol harm and to make the case for urgent and comprehensive alcohol policy action – as a social and gender justice priority. Protecting vulnerable communities, particularly women and youth, from industry-driven increases in alcohol consumption and harm is possible through evidence-based alcohol policy, including through raising alcohol taxes – which Brazil is discussing.