WHO report highlights global alcohol consumption impact
A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that alcohol consumption was responsible for 2.6 million deaths worldwide in 2019.
The report emphasises the disproportionate impact on younger people, with 13% of alcohol-attributable deaths occurring among those aged 20-39. It also highlights a significant gap in access to quality treatment for substance use disorders, affecting nearly half a billion people globally.
The WHO also identified significant regional differences in alcohol consumption trends. Europe saw a substantial decrease in per capita consumption, while southeast Asia experienced a marked increase. Gender disparities in alcohol consumption persist globally, with men accounting for a higher proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths and diseases.
In terms of alcoholic beverage preferences, distilled spirits lead global consumption, followed by beer and wine. Unrecorded alcohol consumption accounted for 21% of the total, with wealthier regions showing higher overall consumption and lower unrecorded consumption.
The high-income regions of Europe, North America and countries such as Australia and Japan had relatively lower alcohol per capita consumption (APC) per drinker compared to low- and middle-income countries of Africa, Europe or South-East Asia. The fact that some Muslim-majority countries were among the countries with high APC per drinker levels may be part of the response bias to surveys: when abstinence is the norm, people may not readily admit to drinking, and thus in some countries the APC per drinker is high due to the possible underestimation of the number of drinkers.
The analysis also revealed six clusters of drinking patterns in Europe, illustrating diverse consumption behaviours across the continent. These groups ranged from wine-dominant countries like France and Greece to high-beer consumption regions like Austria and Germany.
Dr Jürgen Rehm, a co-author of the research from the University of Toronto, indicated that the UK would be grouped in the same cluster as Germany.
By 2030, the WHO aims to reduce harmful alcohol use by 20% compared to 2010 levels as part of its sustainable development goals.
Dr Vladimir Poznyak, head of the alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours unit at WHO, stressed the importance of addressing the stigma and misconceptions surrounding substance use disorders to improve treatment access and outcomes. The report highlights the significant barriers to treatment, with uptake ranging from less than 1% to 35% across surveyed countries.
“Stigma, discrimination and misconceptions about the efficacy of treatment contribute to these critical gaps in treatment provision, as well as the continued low prioritisation of substance use disorders in health and developmental agencies,” Poznyak said.
Overall, the WHO report paints a complex picture of global alcohol consumption, underlining the need for comprehensive strategies to mitigate its adverse health and social impacts.
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