TITLE:
Chronic Alcohol Consumption and the Development of Skeletal Fluorosis in a Fluoride Endemic Area of the Ethiopian Rift Valley
AUTHORS:
Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Gebeyehu Haile
KEYWORDS:
Fluoride; Skeletal Fluorosis; Ethiopian Rift Valley; Alcohol Consumption
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.6 No.2,
February
25,
2014
ABSTRACT: This study compared the occurrence of skeletal fluorosis
in chronic consumers of locally brewed alcoholic beverages and their matched
controls in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The study revealed that chronic alcohol
consumers developed severe forms of crippling skeletal fluorosis quite early in
life. The controls were either symptom-free or exhibited mild forms of the
fluorosis. The study showed that crippling skeletal fluorosis was directly
associated with the large volumes of the locally brewed beer and honey-mead
consumption on a daily basis. Chemical analysis of the alcoholic beverages
showed that high concentration of fluoride which was much higher than the
fluoride in the water was used for the brewing process. From this study one
would conclude that in communities residing in high fluoride areas, there
should be awareness creation campaigns to point out the relationship of
excessive consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks and skeletal
fluorosis. Regulations should also be put in place to require producers of
local alcoholic beverages to use low fluoride water for brewing.