Alcohol Fact Sheet

World Health Organization

The harmful use of alcohol is a global problem, which compromises both individual and social development. It results in 2.5 million deaths each year. It also causes harm far beyond the physical and psychological health of the drinker. It harms the well-being and health of people around the drinker. An intoxicated person can harm others or put them at risk for traffic accidents or violent behavior, or negatively affect co-workers, relatives, friends, or strangers. Thus, the impact of the harmful use of alcohol reaches deep into society.

You can easily notice the disadvantages of alcohol every single day.

• The irresponsible use of alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths each year.
• 320,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 29 die from alcohol-related causes, resulting in 9% of all deaths in that age group.
• Alcohol is the world’s third largest risk factor for disease burden; it is the leading risk factor in the Western Pacific and the Americas and the second largest in Europe.
• Alcohol is associated with many serious social and developmental issues, including violence, child neglect and abuse, and absenteeism in the workplace.