Public Health, Epidemiology & Nutrition

Alcohol and related harms

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with addictive properties that has been widely used in many cultures for centuries. The harmful use of alcohol can also harm other people, such as family members, friends, colleagues and strangers. In addition, harmful consumption of alcohol entails a significant health, social and economic burden for society as a whole.

Worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol, this represent 5.3 % of all deaths. Alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in life. In the age group 20–39 years approximately 13.5 % of the total deaths are alcohol-attributable. There is a causal relationship between harmful use of alcohol and a range of mental and behavioural disorders, other noncommunicable conditions as well as injuries. The latest causal relationships have been established between harmful drinking and incidence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis as well as the course of HIV/AIDS.