Citation

Aso K. Alcohol Alcohol. 2014; 49(Suppl 1): i8.

Affiliation

Fukko-kai Tarumi Hospital, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/alcalc/agu052.27

PMID

25221321

Abstract

In the early morning on Jan. 17, 1995, a mega earthquake attacked Kobe city, Hanshin area and Awaji Island. Over 6,400 people died, 40,000 people were injured, 249,000 buildings were destroyed and the estimated economic impact was 100 billion dollars. Many people with drinking problem in the stricken area were affected by the disaster. Over 300,000 people lost their home and lived in shelters immediately after the earthquake. By the Emergency Psychiatric Clinic report (from Jan. 1995 to Mar. 1995), 7.3 percent of patient of clinics were substance use disorder. In Suma-ward, 10 percent of all cases and 23 percent of hospitalized cases are alcohol use disorder. From Apr. 1995, 48,000 temporary housing were built, where high prevalence of alcohol related problem was reported. From 1995 to 1998, 204 "kodokushi" (dying without a witness) cases were reported in the temporary housing and a half or one third of these cases were estimated to be related to heavy use of alcohol. Disaster Victim Assistance Program reported that 17 percent of services about male victims were alcohol problem. Although alcohol consumption in the stricken area after the earthquake did not increase, the need of the variety of services for alcohol-related problems increased.

Language: en