Global alcohol consumption

An article in The Economist reports that the world’s inhabitants drank the equivalent of 6.1 liters (1.6 gallons) of pure alcohol per person in 2005, according to a report from the World Health Organization. The biggest boozers are mostly found in Europe and in the former Soviet states. Moldovans are the most bibulous, getting through 18.2 liters (4.8 gallons) each, nearly 2 liters (1/2 gallon) more than the Czechs in second place. Over 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of a Moldovan's annual intake is reckoned to be 'unrecorded' home-brewed liquor, making it particularly harmful to health. Drinking such moonshine accounts for almost 30% of the world's total alcohol consumption. The WHO estimates that alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths a year, more than AIDS or tuberculosis. In Russia and its former satellite states one in five male deaths is caused by drink.

Gender Gap in Well-Being among Veterans

According to a recent Gallup poll, female veterans of the U.S. military have a much better outlook on their lives than male veterans do. This finding comes from the survey of 353,561 Americans from Jan. 2 through Dec. 31, 2012 which is the basis for the data for the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index . Among the general survey population, 48,690 respondents indicated they were a veteran, either retired from service or honorably discharged from the U.S. military. Female veterans were far more likely to rate their lives as "thriving" (54%) than their male counterparts (44%). While female veterans' life ratings are nearly on par with women in the general U.S. population, male veterans' ratings lag behind other men by a difference of eight percentage points.

The relationship between gender and well-being among veterans under the age of 65 is significant, even when controlling for employment status, income, race, education, geographic location, and whether or not one has children. Male and female veterans aged 65 and older are about equally likely to be thriving and they are just as likely to be thriving as their non-veteran counterparts. Among those aged 18 to 44, female veterans are 11 points more likely than male veterans to be thriving. And, while female veterans are just as likely as non-veterans to be thriving, men are significantly less likely than men in the general population of their same age group to be thriving.

Homeless Veteran Population Declines



From the Homelessness Research Institute's
The State of Homelessness in America 2012

The Population Reference Bureau reports that the number of homeless veterans is in decline.  From 2009 to 2011, the number of homeless veterans dropped from 75,600 to 67,500 (11% drop), but the total homeless population only fell 1 percent from 643,000 to 636,000.  38 percent of homeless people lack shelters, and instead sleep on the streets, in abandoned properties, or in cars.  Additionally, while 21 in every 10,000 in the general population are homeless, 31 of every 10,000 veterans are homeless. Of sheltered homeless veterans, 92% are male and 8% female.  52.1% are white and 35.1% are black.  The vast majority are aged 31 to 61, and roughly one in two is disabled.