Worldwide, 3.3 million people died in 2012 due to harmful use of alcohol, says a new report launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) today. Alcohol consumption not only can lead to dependence but also increases people's risk of developing more than 200 diseases, including liver cirrhosis and some cancers.
The Americas region, along with Europe, has the highest rates of alcohol consumption in the world
Geneva, 12 May 2014 — Worldwide, 3.3 million people died in 2012 due to harmful use of alcohol, says a new report launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) today. Alcohol consumption not only can lead to dependence but also increases people's risk of developing more than 200 diseases, including liver cirrhosis and some cancers.
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 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."
The Region of the Americas has the second-highest per capita alcohol consumption among WHO regions, after Europe. It also has the second-highest (after Europe) rates of heavy episodic drinking, a drinking pattern associated with harmful effects on health. In addition, the region has the lowest rate of lifetime abstention from alcohol use. (See more facts on alcohol in the Americas below.)
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.
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 men than women die from alcohol-related causes - 7.6% of men and 4% of women — though there is evidence that women may be more vulnerable to alcohol-related harm 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 captia, 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.
Alcohol in the Americas
- On average, people in the Americas consume 8.4 liters of pure alcohol per capita per year, second among WHO regions after Europe, where people consume 10.9 liters per year.
- 22% of drinkers in the Americas engage in heavy episodic drinking (consuming about six standard drinks on a single occasion once a month or more). Globally, 16% of drinkers drink this way.
- The Americas region has the lowest proportion (18.9%) of lifetime abstainers, or people who have never consumed alcohol. Globally, 48% of people are lifetime abstainers.
- In the Americas, beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage, contributing 55.3% of total alcohol consumed.
- Wine accounts for one-ninth of total alcohol consumption in the Americas, due mostly to the high wine consumption in Argentina and Chile.
- The countries with the highest rates of per capita yearly alcohol consumption in the Americas are Grenada (12.5 liters), Saint Lucia (10.4), Canada (10.2), Chile (9.6), Argentina (9.3) and the United States (9.2).
- Countries in the Americas with the lowest per capita consumption are El Salvador (3.2 liters per year), Guatemala (3.8), Honduras (4), Jamaica (4.9), Nicaragua (5) and Cuba (5.2).
- However, according to a recent PAHO study, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua—followed by Brazil, Mexico and Cuba—have the highest mortality rates from causes fully attributable to alcohol, reflecting harmful patterns of drinking.
- The Americas and Europe have the highest proportion of adolescents (15 to 19) who drink alcohol, with 53% and 70%, respectively, saying they are current drinkers.
- The Americas has the highest prevalence of alcohol use disorders among females, with an estimated 12.6% of girls and women affected.
Maristela Monteiro, PAHO advisor on alcohol and substance abuse, warns that efforts to reduce alcohol consumption in the Americas are being resisted by the alcohol industry. "Alcohol producers are exerting increasing influence on public policy in our region, through industry sponsorship of research, training of professionals and young people, and policy development," she says. "This is slowing the adoption of the most cost-effective measures. As public health advocates, we need to redouble our efforts to reverse the impact of harmful use of alcohol."
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Note for Editors:
Harmful use is defined as drinking that causes detrimental health and social consequences for the drinker, the people around the drinker and society at large, as well as the patterns of drinking that are associated with increased risk of adverse health outcomes.
The Global status report on alcohol and health 2014 is available for download at: http://www.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/112736/1/9789240692763_eng.pdf
* The three other factors are tobacco use, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity.
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