A new report by the World Health Organization examining global substance use among individuals aged 15 and older, revealed alarming statistics.
The report says in 2019, the last year for which there are complete statistics, more than 3 million people died due to substance use, while 400 million individuals live with substance use disorders, which have numerous negative health impacts.
“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,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a press release on Tuesday.
The report highlighted that alcohol use was responsible for 2.6 million deaths, with 206 million people suffering from alcohol dependence. About two-thirds of alcohol-related deaths were among men, predominantly in the European and African regions. Alarmingly, current alcohol consumption was common among teenagers.
“On a global scale, [alcohol] is one of the most widely used drugs. Definitely having a negative impact on health,” noted Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News chief medical correspondent, on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday.
Although rates of alcohol-related deaths have declined since 2010, the report emphasized that the number of deaths due to alcohol consumption “remains unacceptably high.” Many deaths were linked to chronic diseases caused by alcohol, such as heart disease and cancer.
“Alcohol is now considered a class one carcinogen, meaning known to cause cancer, on par with asbestos and tobacco,” Dr. Ashton said.
The report found that the highest percentage of alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019 occurred among young people aged 20 to 39 years. Additionally, about 25% of all 15 to 19-year-olds reported currently drinking alcohol. Teenagers in the European region and the Americas had the highest rates of daily consumption within this age group, with approximately 46% and 44% respectively stating they currently drink alcohol.
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