The challenge of unrecorded alcohol consumption in Argentina: estimation and key predictors

<i>Background:</i> Unrecorded alcohol refers to alcoholic beverages produced and consumed outside the formal market. Unrecorded consumption is a global issue with multiple implications that remains under-explored in Latin America, where most estimations rely on global statistical models and surveys, with a need for country-level estimations.<i>Objectives:</i> To 1) characterize unrecorded consumption in Argentina, describing the percentage of the population consuming unrecorded alcohol and the annual per capita consumption, 2) explore the types and quantities of unrecorded alcoholic beverages consumed, and 3) identify its main predictors.<i>Methods:</i> We conducted a survey with a non-probabilistic sample of 1125 adults (75.9% woman) in Argentina, using the World Health Organization's STEPwise approach. Estimates of unrecorded consumption were adjusted using external population data. Logistic regressions were used to explore predictors.<i>Results:</i> Nearly 47% of the sample reported unrecorded alcohol consumption in the past 12 months, and around 25% did so in the last 30 days. The most common types of unrecorded consumption in the last 12 months were alcoholic beverages bought at duty-free shops (22.6%), homemade fermented beverages (20.5%), and beverages made with pure alcohol bought at pharmacies (14.7%). Adjusted estimates suggest an annual per capita consumption of 2.43 l of pure unrecorded alcohol. Heavy episodic drinking was the strongest predictor of unrecorded alcohol use in the last year, increasing it by 86%.<i>Conclusions:</i> Unrecorded consumption is widespread in Argentina. These findings highlight the need for more inclusive and effective public health policies to address unrecorded alcohol use and its associated risks in the region.