Alcohol deaths on the rise worldwide

[Jazzy]

Approximately 3.3 million deaths worldwide in 2012 were the result of alcohol consumption, according to a new report from the World Health Organization. Additionally, 16 percent of people in the world who use alcohol could be categorized as binge drinkers.

The new report, which examined the trends in alcohol use among 194 WHO member states, found Europe topped the list for the region with the highest rate of alcohol consumption per capita, though the rate has remained stable over the past five years. In the last half decade, alcohol use also remained unchanged in Africa and throughout the Americas. However, drinking increased in the South-East Asia and the Western Pacific regions of the world.

The report found alcohol-related mortality was more common for men than women: 7.6 percent of deaths among men versus 4 percent of deaths among women worldwide were linked to excessive drinking.

The report found that global alcohol consumption averages out to 6.2 liters of pure alcohol per year for every person in the world aged 15 years or older. However, since only about 38 percent of the world population actually drinks alcohol, this means that those who do drink consume on average 17 liters of pure alcohol annually.

Though many WHO member states have worked to address alcohol abuse in their public health agendas, addiction and death is still a prevalent problem throughout the world, and the report points out it is often linked to socioeconomic factors.

Source

Questions:

1. Are you or do you know of someone who's a binge drinker?

2. Do you know anyone who died due to excessive alcohol consumption?

 

[DrLeftover]

I don't binge drink, but yet, I am probably the hardest boozer on Off Topix because when I do drink I don't drink these:

But I also know when I've had enough and call it quits.