The World Health Organization (WHO) just released its annual report regarding the state of alcohol abuse and its consequences worldwide. The report showed that 3.3 million people died as a result of alcohol consumption in 2012, which was the most recent year of statistics available.
The Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health covers many regions, as there are 194 member countries of the Organization. About 38% of the world’s population aged 15 and older are drinkers, averaging about 11 ounces of pure alcohol consumed weekly. Nearly 8% of men and 4% of women died from alcohol-related causes, though there is concern over the increase in alcohol consumption by women.
According to Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Director for Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO, “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. 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.”
The status report recommended that more countries implement 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. Other recommendation included more national awareness campaigns and policies to reduce harmful drinking.
Alcohol abuse is one of the leading preventable causes of death here in America. If you have a loved on in need of help for an an alcohol problem, contact Desert Cove Recovery today.
