WHO Releases Alcohol Report

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report on the purported harmful effects of alcohol in 194 WHO member states. The agency attributes 3.3 million deaths in 2012 to the harmful use of alcohol, and it found that the 38.3 percent of the world’s population that drinks alcohol consumes an average of 17 liters of pure alcohol each year. The report highlighted the need for WHO member states to take action in the form of national alcohol policies, awareness-raising activities and health services for prevention and treatment of alcohol related diseases. WHO attributes higher risk of developing more than 200 diseases to alcohol use and further notes that harmful use can lead to higher susceptibility to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. “More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption,” said WHO Assistant Director General for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health Oleg Chestnov.

Issue 524