About 3 million die every year from alcohol and drug use: WHO

A recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that around 2.6 million people die annually due to alcohol consumption.

The WHO, in a statement released Tuesday, said the deaths account for 4.7 percent of all deaths and that 600,000 deaths are due to psychoactive drug use.

The report states that men account for 2.4 million alcohol and drug deaths.

Titled: “Report on the Global Status of Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders Health and Treatment,” the report provides a comprehensive update based on 2019 data on the impact of alcohol and drug use on public health.

It also highlights the state of alcohol use and substance use disorder treatment around the world.

Drug use disorder

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, drug use disorder (DUD) is a treatable mental health condition that alters brain function and behavior.

The WHO report shows that around 400 million people live with alcohol and drug use disorders worldwide and of this number, 209 million people are alcohol dependent.

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WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus explained that drug use is associated with serious health problems, including chronic diseases.

Mr Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying: “Substance use seriously harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases and mental health conditions and, tragically, causing millions of preventable deaths each year.

“It imposes a heavy burden on families and communities, increasing exposure to accidents, injuries and violence.

“To build a healthier and more equitable society, we must urgently commit to bold actions that reduce the negative health and social consequences of alcohol use and make treatment for substance use disorders accessible and affordable.”

Impact of alcoholism

The WHO further highlighted that alcohol consumption caused 2.6 million deaths in 2019, and that Europe and Africa had the highest mortality rates, despite some decline.

He stated that mortality rates due to alcohol consumption are highest in low-income countries and lowest in high-income countries.

“Of all alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were due to non-communicable diseases, including 474,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 401,000 from cancer,” it noted.

According to the report, around 724,000 deaths from injuries, including accidents, violence and self-harm, were also recorded.

The WHO explained that 284,000 deaths are related to communicable diseases, such as HIV and tuberculosis, exacerbated by alcohol consumption, which it says weakens immune responses and increases risk behaviors.

He added that young adults between the ages of 20 and 39 account for 13 percent of alcohol-related deaths.

Decrease in global alcohol consumption

The report indicated that global alcohol consumption decreased from 5.7 liters per capita in 2010 to 5.5 liters in 2019, with the highest consumption levels in the WHO European Region (9.2 liters) and the Region of the Americas (7.5 liters) in 2019.

He said that in 2019, 38 percent of binge drinkers who engaged in episodic binge drinking were mostly men.

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It noted that despite effective treatments for substance use disorders, treatment coverage remains low (between 1 and 35 percent in 2019) due to stigma, discrimination and misconceptions.

Many countries lack specific budgets and data for treatment, and nearly half do not offer support groups, hampering efforts to address substance use disorders.

Call to action

WHO called for urgent action to reduce substance use and improve access to treatment by 2030, adding that governments and partners must act in eight key areas to reduce substance use.

Suggested action plans include: “Raise awareness through a coordinated global advocacy campaign, strengthen the prevention and treatment capacity of the health and social care system, and expand the training of health professionals.

“Renew commitment to implement the Global Action Plan on Alcohol 2022-2030 with a focus on the safest package, accelerate international efforts for capacity development and knowledge transfer, involving civil society organizations” .