Health trends - The harmful use of alcohol

The harmful use of alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a global strategy and status report to assist member states in their efforts to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.

WHO is also launching an Internet portal today, which includes a self-screening tool for the hazardous and harmful use of alcohol and a self-help programme for people who wish to reduce or stop drinking alcohol.

The harmful use of alcohol is a global problem which compromises both individual and social development. It results in 2.5 million deaths each year. It also causes harm far beyond the physical and psychological health of the drinker. It harms the well-being and health of people around the drinker. An intoxicated person can harm others or put them at risk of traffic accidents or violent behaviour, or negatively affect co-workers, relatives, friends or strangers. Thus, the impact of the harmful use of alcohol reaches deep into society.

Harmful drinking is a major determinant for neuropsychiatric disorders, such as alcohol-use disorders and epilepsy and other non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, and various cancers. The harmful use of alcohol is also associated with several infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This is because alcohol consumption weakens the immune system and has a negative effect on patients' adherence to antiretroviral treatment.

A significant proportion of the disease burden attributable to harmful drinking arises from unintentional and intentional injuries, including those caused by traffic accidents, violence, and suicides. Fatal injuries attributable to alcohol consumption tend to occur in relatively younger age groups.

The degree of risk for harmful use of alcohol varies with age, sex and other biological characteristics of the consumer. In addition, the level of exposure to alcoholic beverages, and the setting and context in which the drinking takes place, also play a role. For example, alcohol is the world's third-largest risk factor for disease burden; it is the leading risk factor in the Western Pacific and the Americas and the second largest in Europe.

Source: The World Health Organisation