second thoughts about drunken stepfather

Galina had a traumatic childhood. She barely remembers her real dad -- a deadbeat who deserted her mother when she was pregnant with another child -- but she has vivid memories of her stepfather, a huge drinking man who made their lives hell and whose later death from alcoholic liver disease was a relief even though it meant another period of homelessness and poverty for the family.

"I was reminded about my stepfather when I read an article about cfc emissions causing alcoholic liver disease deaths and now I'm having second thoughts about him," explains Galina. "Sure, he drank too much and scared the living daylights out of us, but he did work hard and take care of us when the guy who should have been there for us was nowhere to be seen."

"If his mental and physical condition was caused by workplace industrial pollution -- not alcohol -- then his death should be compensated," says Galina. "It's like asbestos and mesothelioma, isn't it, but how do you prove this sort of thing?"

"Anyway, I feel better disposed towards him now and that's a good thing."

"Here's the gist of the article I read."

The top 10 reciprocal causal factors relating to alcoholic liver disease death surprisingly rate alcohol in sixth place, not first. As a matter of interest, alcohol only rates higher as a reciprocal factor in Cerebral Infarction deaths.

The top 10 reciprocal causal factors in alcoholic liver disease death, in order of highest incidence, are : 69.45% CFC emissions, 63.43% Land (sq km per 1000 people), 63.41% Pork, 62.89% Obesity, 61.74% Nuclear Waste, 61.50% Alcohol, 61.20% Crime, 58.74% Teen Pregnancy, 57.26% Phosphorus emissions and 56.27% European ethnicity.

In total, statistics of 30 countries were examined for the incidence of death by alcoholic liver disease and 33 causal factors were taken into consideration (personal consumption, family and social issues, environmental issues and population).

The reciprocal causal factors were determined as follows. Firstly, the 15 countries with the highest incidence of death by alcoholic liver disease were examined to establish causes and their values. Secondly, the 15 countries with the highest incidences of these causal factors were examined to establish values in relation to alcoholic liver disease death. Finally, these two values were added together to obtain an average.

If causes alone were taken as established facts then something like Coffee rating 64.02% would come into play, but as countries with the highest incidence of Coffee consumption did not have a corresponding high incidence of alcoholic liver disease death its reciprocal causal factor was very low and as such Coffee not make the top 10.

In order of highest incidence, the top 15 countries representing 90.31% of total alcoholic liver disease deaths are : Hungary, Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, US, Austria, S. Korea, Norway, Canada, Sweden and Australia.

Compare that with the bottom 15 countries representing only 9.69% of total alcoholic liver disease deaths. These countries are : Netherlands Spain Poland Japan NZ Iceland UK Portugal Italy Greece Belgium France Switzerland Ireland and Turkey.

So, alcohol is not a huge factor in alcoholic liver disease death but it definitely plays a part in the top 15 countries above which have a high proportion of CFC emissions, Nuclear Waste and Land (sq km per 1000 people); and Obese people who consume a high proportion of Pork and Alcohol.

Less important contributing factors include a high proportion of Crime, Teen Pregnancy, Phosphorus emissions and people of European ethnicity.

"Overall, sounds like death was caused by pollution (particularly CFC emissions) exacerbated by alcohol ,: says Galina, " but you can't put that on a death certificate can you?"

"If pollution (particularly CFC emissions) compromise mental and physical body functions then perhaps blaming alcohol for liver disease in people who are already obese is unfair. Also, if death was hastened by a whole bunch of Alcohol and Fat Nazis putting unnecessary stress on these unfortunate people who eat and drink too much, then without this interference they might otherwise have died of Cerebral Infarction or something else."