A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that alcohol consumption is responsible for 2.6 million deaths annually, accounting for 4.7% of all global deaths. Additionally, psychoactive drug use contributes to 0.6 million deaths each year. Notably, 2 million of the alcohol-related deaths and 0.4 million of the drug-related deaths were among men. 

The Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders, based on 2019 data, provides an in-depth look at the public health impact of alcohol and drug use worldwide. According to the report, approximately 400 million people globally suffer from alcohol and drug use disorders, with 209 million affected by alcohol dependence.

"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," stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "To build a healthier, more equitable society, we must urgently commit to bold actions that reduce the negative health and social consequences of alcohol consumption and make treatment for substance use disorders accessible and affordable."

Despite some reductions in alcohol-related death rates since 2010, the overall number remains unacceptably high at 2.6 million deaths in 2019. The highest numbers were recorded in the European and African regions. Death rates due to alcohol consumption per litre of alcohol consumed are highest in low-income countries and lowest in high-income countries. 

Of all alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019, 1.6 million were from noncommunicable diseases, including 474,000 from cardiovascular diseases and 401,000 from cancer. Additionally, 724,000 deaths were due to injuries, such as traffic crashes, self-harm, and interpersonal violence. Another 284,000 deaths were linked to communicable diseases, with alcohol increasing the risk of HIV transmission and TB infection by suppressing immune responses. The highest proportion (13%) of alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019 were among young people aged 20–39 years.

Global alcohol per capita consumption slightly decreased from 5.7 litres in 2010 to 5.5 litres in 2019. The highest levels of per capita consumption were in the WHO European Region (9.2 litres) and the Region of the Americas (7.5 litres). On average, drinkers consumed 27 grams of pure alcohol per day, equating to two glasses of wine, two bottles of beer, or two servings of spirits. 

This level of consumption is associated with increased health risks and mortality. In 2019, 38% of current drinkers engaged in heavy episodic drinking, defined as consuming at least 60 grams of pure alcohol on one or more occasions in the preceding month. This behavior was highly prevalent among men. Globally, 23.5% of all 15–19-year-olds were current drinkers, with the highest rates in the European region (45.9%) and the Americas (43.9%).

While effective treatment options for substance use disorders exist, coverage remains incredibly low. In 2019, the proportion of people receiving treatment ranged from less than 1% to no more than 35% in countries reporting this data.

 Most of the 145 countries did not have specific budget lines or data on governmental expenditures for treating substance use disorders. Additionally, almost half of the responding countries did not offer mutual help or peer support groups for substance use disorders. 

Stigma, discrimination, and misconceptions about the efficacy of treatment contribute to critical gaps in treatment provision and low prioritization of substance use disorders by health and development agencies.

To accelerate progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.5 by 2030 and reduce the health and social burden attributable to substance use, WHO urges governments and partners to intensify actions. 

This includes increasing awareness through a coordinated global advocacy campaign and strengthening the prevention and treatment capacity of health and social care systems. Scaling up the training of health professionals is essential, as is a renewed commitment to implementing the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 with a focus on the SAFER package. 

International efforts on capacity-building and knowledge transfer need to be accelerated. Engaging civil society organizations, professional associations, and people with lived experience is crucial. Improving multi-level monitoring systems and corresponding research capacity is necessary, as is scaling up resource mobilization, allocation, and innovative funding mechanisms to strengthen health and social system capacities.