About 3 million die annually of alcohol, drug use – WHO

A recent report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that about 2.6 million people die yearly due to alcohol consumption.

WHO in a statement published on Tuesday, said the fatalities account for 4.7 per cent of all deaths and 600,000 deaths are due to psychoactive drug use.

The report stated that men account for 2.4 million of the deaths from alcohol and drugs.

Titled: “Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders,” the report provides a comprehensive update based on 2019 data on the public health impact of alcohol and drug use.

It also highlights the situation with alcohol consumption and treatment of substance use disorders worldwide.

Drug use disorder

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Drug Use Disorder (DUD) is a treatable mental health condition that alters brain function and behaviour.

WHO’s report shows that about 400 million people live with alcohol and drug use disorders globally and of this figure, 209 million people are dependent on alcohol.

The Director-General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, explained that drug use is associated with severe health challenges, including chronic diseases.

Mr Ghebreyesus was quoted to have said: “Substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health conditions, and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year.

“It places a heavy burden on families and communities, increasing exposure to accidents, injuries, and violence.

“To build a healthier, more equitable society, we must urgently commit to bold actions that reduce the negative health and social consequences of alcohol consumption and make treatment for substance use disorders accessible and affordable.”

Impact of alcoholism

WHO further highlighted that alcohol consumption caused 2.6 million deaths in 2019, with Europe and Africa having the highest mortality rates, despite some decline.

It stated that the death rates due to alcohol consumption are highest in low-income countries and lowest in high-income countries.

“Of all deaths attributable to alcohol in 2019, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were from noncommunicable diseases, including 474 000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 401 000 from cancer,” it noted.

About 724,000 deaths from injuries, including crashes, violence, and self-harm were also recorded according to the report.

WHO explained that 284,000 deaths are linked to communicable diseases, such as HIV and TB, exacerbated by alcohol consumption, which it says weakens immune responses and increases risky behaviour.

It added that young adults aged 20 to 39 account for 13 per cent of alcohol-related deaths.

Decrease in global alcohol consumption

The report stated that global alcohol consumption decreased from 5.7 litres per capita in 2010 to 5.5 litres in 2019, with the highest consumption levels in the WHO European Region (9.2 litres) and the Region of the Americas (7.5 litres) in 2019.

It said in 2019, 38 per cent of drinkers who engaged in heavy episodic drinking were mostly men.

ALSO READ: INFOGRAPHICS: Intl. Day against Drug Abuse: Nigeria faces harder times over rising drug use

It observed that despite effective treatments for substance use disorders, treatment coverage remains low (1-35 per cent in 2019) due to stigma, discrimination, and misconceptions.

Many countries lack dedicated budgets and data for treatment, and nearly half don’t offer support groups, hindering efforts to address substance use disorders.

Call to action

WHO called for urgent action to reduce substance use and improve treatment access by 2030 adding that governments and partners must act in eight key areas to reduce substance use.

Its suggested action plans include: “Increasing awareness through a coordinated global advocacy campaign, strengthening prevention and treatment capacity of the health and social care system and scaling up training of health professionals.

“Recommitting to implementation of the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 with a focus on the safer package, accelerating international efforts on capacity-building and knowledge transfer, engaging civil society organisations.”