In 2019, the worldwide total consumption was equal to 5.5 litres of pure alcohol per person 15 years and older. Explore a world of health data Commercial determinants of noncommunicable diseases in the WHO European Region The SAFER initiative, launched globally in 2018, supports the implementation of high-impact strategies across the European Region. The WHO European Region has been proactive in addressing the harm caused by alcohol through several key initiatives and frameworks.
Over 3 million annual deaths due to alcohol and drug use, majority among men Alcoholic beverages are classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and increase the risk of several cancer types. Alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability among those aged 20 to 39 years, accounting for 13% of all deaths in this age group. Harmful use of alcohol is accountable for 6,9 % and 2.0% of the global burden of disease for males and females respectively.
Heavy drinking also may result in alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Binge drinking is behavior that raises blood alcohol levels to 0.08%. The definition of heavy drinking is based on a person’s sex. In the past, moderate drinking was thought to be linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease and possibly diabetes. And drinking raises the risk of problems in the digestive system. For example, it may be used to define the risk of illness or injury based on the number of drinks a person has in a week.
Restricting alcohol availability in practice: evidence from selected countries
You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. This disorder also involves having to drink more to get the same effect or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking. Tackling the harmful effects of alcohol locally in the city of Tarumã, Brazil
Impact on your health
A relatively high proportion of alcohol harm occurs early in the life course. The only thing that we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is – or, in other words, the less you drink, the safer it is,” explains Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, acting Unit Lead for Noncommunicable Disease Management and Regional Advisor for Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the WHO Regional Office for Europe. “We cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago – this is the highest risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation and tobacco. Early intervention can prevent alcohol-related problems in teens. Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain.
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In the United States, moderate drinking for healthy adults is different for men and women. The evidence for moderate alcohol use in healthy adults is still being studied. Many people drink alcohol as a personal preference, during social activities, or as a part of cultural and religious practices.
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- Many people drink alcohol as a personal preference, during social activities, or as a part of cultural and religious practices.
- The harmful use of alcohol results in the death of 2.6 million people annually.
- If you already drink at low levels and continue to drink, risks for these issues appear to be low.
- Harmful use of alcohol is accountable for 6,9 % and 2.0% of the global burden of disease for males and females respectively.
The risks increase largely in a dose-dependent manner with the volume of alcohol consumed and with frequency of drinking, and exponentially with the amount consumed on a single occasion. Both the volume of lifetime alcohol use and a combination of context, frequency of alcohol consumption and amount consumed per occasion increase the risk of the wide range of health and social harms. Alcohol consumption contributes to 2.6 million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people. Alcohol During Pregnancy In some situations, the risk of drinking any amount of alcohol is high.
In addition, enforcing drink driving countermeasures and securing access to screening, brief interventions, and treatment are effective and ethically sound interventions. Alcohol has considerable toxic effects on the digestive and cardiovascular systems. Alcohol as an intoxicant affects a wide range of structures and processes in the central nervous system and increases the risk for intentional and unintentional injuries and adverse social consequences. Disadvantaged and especially vulnerable populations have higher rates of alcohol-related death and hospitalization. This is particularly true for those in social environments with high visibility and societal influence, nationally and internationally, where alcohol frequently accompanies socializing. In many of today’s societies, alcoholic beverages are a routine part of the social landscape for many in the population.
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Around 1 in every 3 deaths in men and 1 in every 5 deaths in women between 30 and 40 years of age were due to alcohol. Every day, around 2191 people die from alcohol-related causes in the Region. The WHO European Region has the highest levels of alcohol consumption and the highest burden of alcohol-related harm in the world.
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It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems. Alcohol use disorder includes a level of drinking that’s sometimes called alcoholism. This regional workshop was planned to address the challenges of illicit tobacco trade and unrecorded alcohol consumption in the countries of the Region….
- The risk of developing cancer increases substantially the more alcohol is consumed.
- Here, over 200 million people in the Region are at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer.
- In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy.
- Alcohol use may begin in the teens, but alcohol use disorder occurs more frequently in the 20s and 30s, though it can start at any age.
- However, latest available data indicate that half of all alcohol-attributable cancers in the WHO European Region are caused by “light” and “moderate” alcohol consumption – less than 1.5 litres of wine or less than 3.5 litres of beer or less than 450 millilitres of spirits per week.
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Knowing your personal risk based on your habits can help you make the best decision for you. People who choose not to drink make that choice for the same reasons. More on alcohol
This drinking pattern is responsible for the majority of alcohol-attributable breast cancers in women, with the highest burden observed in countries of the European Union (EU). If your pattern of drinking results in repeated significant distress and problems functioning in your daily life, you likely have alcohol use disorder. Binge drinking causes significant health and safety risks. The 2010 WHO Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and the 2022 WHO Global action plan are the most comprehensive international alcohol policy documents, endorsed by WHO Member States, that provides guidance on reducing the harmful use of alcohol at all levels. WHO works with Member States and partners to prevent and reduce the harmful use of alcohol as a public health priority.
Alcohol use disorder
Although it is well established that alcohol can cause cancer, this fact is still not widely known to the public in most countries. Despite this, the question of beneficial effects of alcohol has been a contentious issue in research for years. Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer.
Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder. But heavy drinking carries a much higher risk even for those without other health concerns. But good evidence shows that drinking high amounts of alcohol are clearly linked to health problems. To combat this, WHO advocates for transparency in policy development, the exclusion of the alcohol industry from policy discussions, and the implementation of regulations to limit the industry’s influence on public health. A critical aspect of the Region’s approach is addressing the commercial determinants of health, particularly the influence of the alcohol industry on public health policy.
This initiative includes policies that reduce the affordability, availability, and acceptability of alcohol, particularly in the heaviest-drinking countries, mitigating the effects of alcohol consumption on public health. This emphasizes the importance of protecting policy-making processes from industry interference that aims to delay or weaken public health measures that would reduce alcohol consumption. Despite progress in reducing alcohol consumption and related harms, the Region continues to face significant challenges, including high rates of alcohol-related deaths, particularly from cancer. The EU is the heaviest-drinking area globally, with 7 of the 10 countries with the highest per-capita alcohol consumption located within the EU.
The risk of developing cancer increases substantially the more alcohol is consumed. Ethanol (alcohol) causes cancer through biological mechanisms as the compound breaks down in the body, which means that any beverage containing alcohol, regardless of its price and quality, poses a risk of developing cancer. A heavy drinking binge may even cause a life-threatening coma or death. Genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can impact how drinking alcohol affects your body and behavior. If you’re concerned about someone who drinks too much, ask a professional experienced in alcohol treatment for advice on how to approach that person. Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem.
The negative effects of alcohol consumption disproportionately affect younger and vulnerable populations, and contribute significantly to the burden of noncommunicable diseases in the Region. Here, over 200 million people in the Region are at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer. It doesn’t matter how much you drink – the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage.