New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that alcohol is responsible for 5% of deaths, globally
Among most affected persons are young people with a 13.5% rate. 29% of the alcohol-related deaths were caused by injuries such as car accidents or suicide. Other causes include digestive disorders (21%), cardiovascular disease (19%), infectious diseases, cancers, mental illness, and more.
Vladimir Poznyak, a WHO alcohol-control expert said that “the health burden of alcohol was unacceptably large” and that these numbers most likely underestimate what’s really happening.
“Alcohol use starts in many countries well before [age] 15, so that is why we can say that our estimates are quite conservative because we don’t count at all the impact of alcohol consumption on kids below 15,” Poznyak added
The data comes on the heels of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that discovered that drugs, alcohol and suicide are causing a decline in life expectancy in the US. According to the report, more Americans are dying from substance abuse, chronic liver disease and suicide compared to previous years.
Worldwide, alcohol is consumed by roughly 2.3 million people, with 45% consuming it as liquor, 34% as beer and 12% as wine. As a consequence, researchers say that these findings show a clear need for more government intervention in order to reduce the harmful alcohol consumption.
Source: bustle.com
