WHO Report on Alcohol: Deaths Related to Alcohol Consumption Linked to Illness and Injuries

reAlcoholism is part of the daily lives of about 2.3 billion people worldwide. It is a habit that we will not drink anytime soon; Experts predict that global consumption of alcohol will only increase over the next ten years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this is a problem. In a report released Friday, the UN agency announced that alcohol had contributed to more than 3 million deaths in 2016.

Although these deaths may have differed in detail, their unitary link is alcohol. In the report, the WHO states that:

"Of all alcohol-related deaths, 28% were due to injuries, such as traffic accidents, self-injury and interpersonal violence; 21% due to digestive disorders; 19% because of cardiovascular disease, and the rest because of infectious diseases, cancers, mental disorders and other health problems.

This translates into 370,000 deaths from road accidents, 150,000 deaths from self-harm and approximately 90,000 deaths from interpersonal violence worldwide. According to the report, about 187,000 road deaths were due to people who were not driving. In the United States, for example, 29 people die every day in an accident involving an alcoholic driver.

Despite the conventional wisdom that a glass of wine a day is good for you, it is becoming increasingly clear that alcohol has a negative impact on health. In August an analysis published in The lancet said that the best amount of alcohol to drink is no alcohol and think otherwise, it's believing in "a myth".

While alcoholism does not kill you, scientists are now more than ever convinced that alcohol is associated with various diseases. A study published in June in PLOS Medicine found that lifetime cancer risk was lowest among light drinkers and increased with each additional drink per week. Scientists believe that excessive consumption of alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer because alcohol can damage stem cell DNA, a process that can lead to the development of cancerous tumors . It is also believed that alcohol interferes with the function of the gastrointestinal tract. And the American Heart Association says that drinking too much alcohol can increase the rate of certain fats in the blood, which can lead to high blood pressure and heart failure.

Related: This is what happens to your brain when you are drunk.

"All countries can do much more to reduce the health and social costs of the harmful use of alcohol," said Vladimir Poznyak, MD, PhD, coordinator of the WHO Addiction Management Unit on Friday. . "Proven and profitable stocks include increased taxes on alcoholic beverages, bans or restrictions on advertising for alcohol and limiting the physical availability of alcohol."

Currently, alcohol-related disorders are more common in high-income countries. Rates of these disorders are highest in Europe, followed by the Americas, which include both North America and South America. In the United States alone, approximately 15.1 million adults aged 18 and over suffer from alcohol-related disorders, which translates into an inability to limit their consumption, to consume alcohol, and to Alcohol and to continue drinking despite their personal or professional problems.

If you experience abuse, the free and confidential telephone support service provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services is 1-800-662-4357.