Alcohol consumption kills an estimated 2.6 million people globally every year, accounting for 4.7 percent of all deaths worldwide, a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report has revealed, with young people and families in Nigeria and other low-income countries bearing the brunt.
The WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders, based on 2019 data, shows that alcohol remains one of the world’s most preventable public health threats despite a slight drop in consumption from 5.7 litres per capita in 2010 to 5.5 litres in 2019.
According to the report, about 2 million of the alcohol-related deaths were among men. An estimated 400 million people globally live with alcohol use disorders, including 209 million with alcohol dependence.
The report indicated that alcohol accounts for 13 percent of all deaths among young people aged 20 to 39, the most productive age group, through drunk driving, alcohol-induced violence, injuries and a multitude of diseases including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases and mental health conditions and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths.
In Nigeria, experts warn that the trend poses a growing threat to youths and families, fuelled by easy availability, aggressive marketing, cheap sachet alcohol and weak enforcement of age restrictions.
The WHO noted that death rates due to alcohol consumption per litre consumed are highest in low-income countries like Nigeria and lowest in high-income countries, with the highest numbers recorded in the European and African regions.
The health body has called for stronger global action through its SAFER initiative, which focuses on restricting alcohol availability, strengthening drink-driving countermeasures, expanding screening and treatment services, limiting alcohol marketing and increasing prices through taxation.
WHO said implementing taxes that increase alcohol prices by 50 percent could avert over 21 million deaths in 50 years and urged governments to recommit to the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 to achieve Sustainable Development Goal target 3.5 on strengthening prevention and treatment of substance abuse.