Barmer: Around 87,000 alcohol addicts treated in Saxony

In Saxony, 87,053 men and women were treated for alcohol addiction in 2022, according to an analysis by health insurer Barmer. At 2.13 percent, the proportion of alcohol addicts in the population was above the national average of 1.71 percent, as Barmer announced on Monday. According to the survey, it was mostly people in the second half of life who were affected. For the survey, the latest data from around 318,000 insured persons in the state were evaluated and extrapolated to the population by the in-house Institute for Health Research, as a Barmer spokeswoman explained. The delay was due to the billing method.

"Both the addictive potential and the health risks of alcohol are underestimated by many people," said Barmer state managing director Monika Welfens. This also has to do with the fact that "alcohol is a cultural asset and socially accepted in Germany". Yet it is a cytotoxin that is partly responsible for the development of over 200 diseases, including liver cirrhosis, cancer and mental disorders.

According to Barmer, alcoholism usually develops over many years and is increasingly diagnosed in people in the second half of life. "It is important that those affected seek and receive tailored help," said Welfens. Anyone who suspects they have an alcohol problem can take the anonymous self-test online or seek medical advice. There are also self-help groups or addiction counseling for those affected and their relatives.