WHO calls on governments to do more to
prevent alcohol-related deaths and diseases
News release
12 MAY 2014 | GENEVA - Worldwide, 3.3
million deaths in 2012 were due to harmful use of alcohol, says a new report
launched by WHO today. Alcohol consumption can not only lead to dependence but
also increases people’s risk of developing more than 200 diseases including liver
cirrhosis and some cancers. In addition, harmful drinking can lead to violence
and injuries.
The report also finds that harmful use of alcohol
makes people more susceptible to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and
pneumonia.
The "Global status report on alcohol
and health 2014" provides country profiles for alcohol consumption in the
194 WHO Member States, the impact on public health and policy responses.
“More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative
health consequences of alcohol consumption,” says Dr Oleg Chestnov, WHO
Assistant Director-General for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. “The report
clearly shows that there is no room for complacency when it comes to reducing
the harmful use of alcohol.”
Some countries are already strengthening
measures to protect people. These include increasing taxes on alcohol, limiting
the availability of alcohol by raising the age limit, and regulating the
marketing of alcoholic beverages.
Report highlights
The report also highlights the need for
action by countries including: national leadership to develop policies to
reduce harmful use of alcohol (66 WHO Member States had written national
alcohol policies in 2012);national awareness-raising activities (nearly 140
countries reported at least one such activity in the past three years);health
services to deliver prevention and treatment services, in particular increasing
prevention, treatment and care for patients and their families, and supporting
initiatives for screening and brief interventions.
In addition the report shows the need for
communities to be engaged in reducing harmful use of alcohol.
On average every person in the world aged
15 years or older drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per year. But as less than
half the population (38.3%) actually drinks alcohol, this means that those who
do drink consume on average 17 litres of pure alcohol annually.
The report also points to the fact that a
higher percentage of deaths among men than among women are from alcohol-related
causes - 7.6% of men’s deaths and 4% of women’s deaths – though there is evidence that women may be more vulnerable to some
alcohol-related health conditions compared to men. In addition, the authors
note that there is concern over the steady increase in alcohol use among women.
“We found that worldwide about 16% of drinkers engage in heavy
episodic drinking - often referred to as ‘binge-drinking’ - which is
the most harmful to health,” explains Dr Shekhar Saxena, Director for Mental Health and
Substance Abuse at WHO. "Lower-income groups are more affected by the
social and health consequences of alcohol. They often lack quality health care
and are less protected by functional family or community networks.”
Globally, Europe is the region with the
highest consumption of alcohol per capita, with some of its countries having
particularly high consumption rates. Trend analysis shows that the consumption
level is stable over the last 5 years in the region, as well as in Africa and
the Americas, though increases have been reported in the South-East Asia and
the Western Pacific regions.
Through a global network, WHO is supporting
countries in their development and implementation of policies to reduce the
harmful use of alcohol. The need for intensified action was endorsed in the
landmark 2011 United Nations General Assembly meeting, which identified alcohol
as one of four common risk factors* contributing to the non-communicable
diseases (NCDs) epidemic.
For more information, contact
Glenn Thomas
WHO Department of Communications
Mobile: +41 79 509 0677
Telephone.: +41 22 791 3983
Email:
Tarik Jasarevic
WHO Department of Communications
Mobile: + 41 79 367 62 14
Telephone: + 41 22 791 50 99
Email:
Related linksGlobal status report on
alcohol and health 2014Fact sheet on alcoholPortal on alcohol and healthHealth
topic on alcohol
