Global status report on alcohol

The global burden of disease from alcohol exceeds that of tobacco and is on a par with the burden attributable to unsafe sex worldwide. To provide a global picture of the status of alcohol as a factor in world health, the report begins with an overview describing the types of alcohol available around the world and summarizing data and trends in recorded and unrecorded alcohol production and adult per capita consumption of alcohol. Prevalence of drinking and drinking patterns in the WHO regions and among key sub-populations such as men, women and young people are described. The overview provides statistics on the leading national producers, importers and exporters of alcohol, and describes the changing organization of alcohol production and trends toward globalized alcohol commodities heavily supported by marketing. A discussion of alcohol's possible protective effects is followed by statistics on chronic and acute consequences of alcohol use, including alcohol dependence, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, motor vehicle crash deaths, and injuries from violence. Social costs and benefits from alcohol use, such as tax revenues, are also discussed. In keeping with WHO resolutions calling for comprehensive national alcohol programmes, the status and importance of national implementation of various alcohol policies are described, including education and health promotion, regulation of physical availability, taxation, product labeling, regulation of promotion, and deterrent strategies. A conclusion reiterates the importance of national programmes and policies for preventing a global epidemic of alcohol-related harm.
Following the overview are country profiles for all Member States for which sufficient data were available. These profiles include information about alcohol use, including trends in adult per capita consumption as well as prevalence data; health and social problems, including morbidity and mortality from alcohol-related causes; policies designed to control alcohol products and problems; and data collection, research and treatment activities.
Global overview:
WHO data sources and methods; Types of alcohol products; Alcohol consumption; Drinking prevalence; Alcohol industry; Health effects; Alcohol control policies.
Country profiles:
The African Region; The Region of the Americas; The Eastern Mediterranean Region; The European Region; The South-East Asian Region; The Western Pacific Region.