Marrakesh -The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that alcohol claims nearly three million lives annually, despite a slight decrease in recent years. They labeled this persistently high death toll as unacceptable.
According to WHO’s latest report on alcohol and health, alcohol contributes to approximately one in every 20 deaths globally each year. These fatalities stem from causes such as drunk driving, alcohol-related violence, abuse, and various associated diseases and disorders.
In 2019 alone, alcohol consumption was responsible for 2.6 million deaths worldwide, comprising 4.7% of all global fatalities that year. The report underscores that nearly three-quarters of these deaths were among men.
Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, from WHO’s department of mental health and substance use, emphasized in a press conference that despite a 2.5% decline since 2010, these figures remain alarmingly high.
Additionally, Europe leads globally in alcohol use disorder, registering a concerning 10.7% prevalence, despite recent declines in incidence.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the profound health risks associated with substance use, which contributes to millions of preventable deaths annually through chronic diseases and mental health issues.
He acknowledged a modest decrease in global alcohol consumption and related harms since 2010, but stressed that the overall impact remains distressingly high.
Tedros highlighted the disproportionate toll on younger individuals, noting that 13% of alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019 occurred among those aged 20 to 39.
The health consequences of persistent drinking are extensive, including conditions like liver cirrhosis and certain cancers.
In 2019, alcohol was implicated in an estimated 1.6 million deaths from noncommunicable diseases alone, underscoring its potential to be a significant burden on public health.
