This Day in History: 2025-04-01

World day against alcoholism.

The International Fools day or the Day of madness is celebrated on April 1st, but it is less known that today is marked by the World day against alcoholism. Alcoholism is defined as a disease in which an individual falls if he regularly and over-consumes alcoholic beverages and it affects all social and sexual groups. The number of addicts worldwide is steadily increasing, and there is an increasing number of young people with addiction. Croatia is at the top of the European scale with about 200,000 alcoholics, and demographic alcoholism is represented in all regions, although this number is more pronounced in larger cities. The difference is only in what is being drinked and it is related to social customs, so in Dalmatia ‘wine culture’ dominates, while the continent is linked to beer. By observing it from a gender perspective, on every five male alcoholic drinkers, who drink in the public, comes a woman who consumes alcohol in the intimacy of her home. Alcohol is still relatively cheap in Croatia, so half a liter of beer will cost less than two deciliters of juice, while in Scandinavian countries the situation is reversed and the price of alcoholic beverages is twice as high as the price of soft drinks. Perhaps Scandinavia is a good example of slowing the growth of addicts, especially young people who are the most vulnerable group.