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Alcohol consumption in Cyprus surges nearly tenfold during the summer months in tourist areas, according to the country’s first wastewater-based epidemiological study.
The yearlong study, published July 21, was conducted by scientists from the Nireas International Water Research Center, the Cyprus National Addictions Authority, and the Ayia Napa–Paralimni Wastewater Treatment Plant. Researchers analyzed samples from treatment facilities in the capital, Nicosia, and the coastal tourist hub of Ayia Napa–Paralimni.
While alcohol use in Nicosia remained stable, ranging from 0.31 to 10.60 milliliters per day per hour, coastal levels spiked dramatically during the summer, reflecting seasonal tourism patterns. The study also found a notable correlation between alcohol and certain illegal stimulants, including methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine.
Scientists used wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to measure community-wide alcohol and drug use, a method they say offers a more accurate assessment than traditional surveys or sales data.
The findings, the first of their kind for Cyprus, provide valuable insight into substance use trends and could inform future public health policies, researchers said.
Read the original study here:
The first wastewater-based epidemiology study for alcohol monitoring in Cyprus: Temporal and spatial consumption trends from a one-year study
