Alcohol problem
Harmful use of alcohol is one of the main factors contributing to premature deaths and disability and has a major impact on public health.
The harmful use of alcohol encompasses several aspects of drinking such as the volume of alcohol drunk over time; the pattern of drinking that includes occasional or regular drinking to intoxication; the drinking context if it increases the public health risks; and the quality or contamination of alcoholic beverages
Alcohol can damage nearly every organ and system in the body. Its use contributes to more than 60 diseases and conditions.
In 2002, the harmful use of alcohol was estimated to cause about 2.3 million premature deaths worldwide (3.7% of global deaths).
It is the fifth leading contributor to the global disease burden.
This problem is associated with numerous social consequences, such as crimes, violence, unemployment and absenteeism. It generates health-care and societal costs and it contributes to disparities in health between and within countries
Cardiovascular Diseases
One in every five deaths attributable to harmful use of alcohol is due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), accounting for more than half a million deaths each year. CVDs account for 10 percent of the total disease burden attributable to alcohol. Hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure are all adversely affected by alcohol, with a more complex picture for ischaemic heart disease.
Liver Diseases
Alcohol consumption has been identified as the leading cause of liver cirrhosis, and liver cirrhosis accounts for 10 percent of the total disease burden attributable to harmful use of alcohol.
Cancer
Studies consistently show alcohol increases the risk of cancer and 20 percent of all alcohol-related deaths are due to cancer. Cancers of the mouth, oropharynx, esophagus, colorectal, liver and breast are all causally related to alcohol.
The Cost of Alcohol-related Problems
Health and social problems caused by drinking often affect entire families and communities, and a significant portion of the family budget is often spent on alcoholic beverages.
In 2002 the global cost of harmful use of alcohol was estimated to be between US$ 210 000 million and US$ 665 000 million, accounting for between 0.6% and 2.0% of global gross domestic product .
““Alcohol problems are of global scale, but they can be reduced and prevented. Amidst rapid globalization, drinking patterns are worsening, often in places with the fewest resources to combat them. Global leadership is needed for this global problem.””
– Dr. Ala Alwan, World Health Organization