The Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders presents a comprehensive overview of alcohol consumption, alcohol
...
-related harm and policy responses as well as treatment capacities for alcohol and drug use disorders worldwide. The report is based on data collected by WHO from Member States and organized in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals health target 3.5 which calls on countries to strengthen “the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”. The chapter on alcohol and health continues the series of WHO global status reports on alcohol and health and presents the latest available data on the status of, and trends in, alcohol consumption, as well as estimates of the alcohol-attributable disease burden and descriptions of policy responses worldwide. On the basis of data collected from countries on the treatment of substance use disorders the report describes the status of key components of treatment responses to alcohol and drug use disorders and proposes a new service capacity index for these disorders as an additional contextual indicator for monitoring progress in this domain of SDG health target 3.5. The report concludes with broad directions for international action to accelerate progress towards achievement of SDG health target 3.5.
more
Esta hoja informativa contiene información importante sobre el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas y la COVID-19. Entre otros aspectos, se aborda la información errónea que está circulando por las redes sociales y otros canales de comunicación acerca del
...
alcohol y la COVID 19.
Lo más importante es que el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas no protege en absoluto frente a la COVID-19 ni evitará que usted contraiga el virus.
more
The document provides Information on alcohol use (risk factors, evaluation alcohol use etc.) in a descriptive way.
This infographic provides important information on what to do and what not to do in regard to alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic, including: avoiding alcohol altogether, reaching out for help, avo
...
iding alcohol as a social cue for smoking, discussing with children and young people the problems associated with drinking and COVID-19, not using alcohol as a way of dealing with your emotions and stress, never mixing alcohol with medications, and making sure that children and young people do not have access to alcohol.
more
The OECD's "Alcohol Consumption" indicator measures the annual sales of pure alcohol in liters per person aged 15 and older. This metric helps assess long-term trends in
...
alcohol consumption across countries. It's important to note that the methodology for converting alcoholic beverages to pure alcohol may vary between nations. Additionally, official data typically do not account for tourist consumption or unrecorded alcohol intake, such as homemade or illegally produced alcohol. While this indicator provides insight into overall consumption patterns, it does not capture harmful drinking behaviors like heavy episodic drinking.
more
This short brief describes the main findings and the key lessons learned from the research project "Evaluation of the impact of alcohol control policies on morbidity and mortality in Lithuania and other Baltic states", funded by the United States Na
...
tional Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the period 2000–2025. The WHO-backed project aims to assess the effects of alcohol control policies implemented in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and to investigate the impact they have had on both people's health and the countries' economies, based on concrete actions taken. The key findings of the project demonstrate that alcohol control policies such as taxation and availability measures decrease all-cause mortality and reduce inequalities, and that dismantling alcohol control policies has the opposite effect on population health. They also highlight that consumption of unrecorded alcohol will not necessarily go up if taxation is increased and that specific countermeasures can be taken to prevent an increase in unrecorded consumption.
more
The report provides an overview of alcohol consumption, related health harm, and policy responses in 30 European countries (EU Member States, Norway, and Switzerland). It highlights the high levels of alco
...
hol consumption in the WHO European Region, which contribute to a significant disease burden compared to other regions. The report covers trends in alcohol consumption and harm between 2010 and 2016, noting some progress in reducing alcohol-attributable mortality but stagnation in consumption reduction and heavy episodic drinking.
The assessment of alcohol policies shows variability in implementation across countries, particularly in areas like pricing and reducing the negative consequences of drinking. It emphasizes the need for stronger evidence-based policies, such as better regulation, taxation, and accessibility restrictions, to further reduce alcohol-related harm and achieve health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
more
Esta hoja informativa destaca la relación entre el consumo de alcohol y la COVID-19. El alcohol se utiliza a menudo para la socialización y por algunas personas para hacer frente a las emociones d
...
ifíciles como la ansiedad, el miedo, la depresión, el aburrimiento y la incertidumbre, todo lo cual aumentó durante la pandemia de COVID-19, con el consiguiente incremento en el consumo de alcohol, especialmente en quienes ya bebían en exceso.
more
Alcohol has historically, and continues to, hold an important role in social engagement and bonding for many. Social drinking or moderate alcohol consumption for many is pleasurable.
However,
...
alcohol consumption – especially in excess – is linked to a number of negative outcomes: as a risk factor for diseases and health impacts, crime, road incidents, and, for some, alcohol dependence.
This topic page looks at the data on global patterns of alcohol consumption, patterns of drinking, beverage types, the prevalence of alcoholism, and consequences, including crime, mortality, and road incidents.
more
The World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (WHO EMRO) highlights the significant health and social consequences of harmful alcohol use. Excessive alcohol consumption is li
...
nked to over 200 diseases and injuries, including liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, various cancers, hemorrhagic stroke, and hypertension. Globally, it results in approximately 3.3 million deaths annually, surpassing fatalities from HIV/AIDS, violence, or tuberculosis. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, while overall alcohol consumption is low, there is a concerning rise among adolescents and young adults, with patterns of heavy episodic drinking posing significant health risks. In response, the WHO has developed a global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, aiming to improve health and social outcomes by decreasing disease and death associated with alcohol consumption.
more
The study analyzes the global burden of cancer in 2020 attributable to alcohol consumption. Using data from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database and alcohol consumption patterns, it estimates that 4.1% of all
...
new cancer cases globally (approximately 741,300 cases) were caused by alcohol. The most affected cancers include esophageal, liver, and breast cancer, with heavy drinking contributing the most cases, followed by risky and moderate drinking. The study highlights regional differences, with the highest attributable fractions in Eastern Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. It underscores the need for policies to raise awareness about alcohol-related cancer risks and reduce alcohol consumption globally.
more
The pamphlet "Alcohol and Depressants" explains the effects of depressants, including alcohol. Depressants slow brain activity by increasing the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA, le
...
ading to effects such as sedation, decreased anxiety, and reduced heart rate. Alcohol, a legal depressant, causes short-term effects like impaired judgment, vomiting, and blackouts, while long-term use can result in alcoholism, liver disease, strokes, and cancer. Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening, causing seizures and heart complications. The pamphlet emphasizes the importance of safe usage and provides resources for treatment and further information.
more
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides an overview of alcohol consumption and its global impact. Alcohol, containing ethanol, is a psychoactive and toxic substance that can lead to dependence.
...
In 2019, alcohol consumption was responsible for approximately 2.6 million deaths worldwide, with 1.6 million resulting from noncommunicable diseases, 700,000 from injuries, and 300,000 from communicable diseases. Men accounted for the majority of these deaths, totaling 2 million, compared to 600,000 among women. Additionally, an estimated 400 million people aged 15 and older were living with alcohol use disorders in 2019.
more