Alcohol kills more than AIDS, tuberculosis or violence

Alcohol causes nearly 4% of deaths worldwide. That is, about 2.5 million deaths a year. More than AIDS, tuberculosis and violence, says a report by the World Health Organization (WHO). "The harmful use of alcohol is a problem worldwide, causing millions of deaths, including hundreds of thousands of young lives. It is not only a causal factor in many diseases, but a precursor to violence and injury," he said in a statement Ala Alwan, Assistant Director of the Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at WHO and the Alcohol kills more than AIDS.

Rising incomes have led to drink more heavily populated countries in Africa and Asia, including India and South Africa, and excessive consumption of alcohol is a problem well documented in many developed nations, according to the United Nations agency.

Alcohol kills more than AIDS

Policies to control alcohol remain fragile and are not among the priorities of many governments, despite the strong impact of alcohol in society through traffic accidents, violence, disease, child abuse and absenteeism underlines the WHO Global Report on Alcohol and Health.

Approximately 2.5 million people die each year from causes related to alcohol intake. Alcohol consumption is especially fatal to the younger groups and the alcohol is a major risk factor in the world of death among men between 15 and 59 years, "says the report.In Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), one of every five deaths due to alcohol, the highest rate. In countries such as Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine and excessive alcohol consumption, is increasingly prevalent. However, WHO warns, is increasing everywhere Alcohol kills more than AIDS..

"Worldwide, about 11% of heavy drinkers had a drinking episodes every week," the report said. By gender, men, which far exceed women by a ratio of four to one, "always involved in risky drinking at levels much higher than females in all regions."

Alcohol kills more than tuberculosis

Health ministers from all 193 WHO member states agreed last May to try to curb growing binge drinking and other forms of alcohol abuse through higher taxes on alcoholic beverages and more restrictions on the marketing.

Alcohol is behind 60 types of disease and injury. Its consumption is associated with liver cirrhosis, epilepsy, poisoning, traffic accidents, violence and various cancers, including colorectal, breast, larynx and liver Alcohol kills more than AIDS..

"Six or seven years, we had clear evidence of a causal relationship between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. Now we have," said Vladimir Poznyak Reuters, responsible for the substance abuse unit of WHO who coordinated the report.Alcohol or illegal home production that bypasses the government controls and taxes, representing nearly 30% of total adult consumption in the world. And some of these beverages are toxic.

According to WHO, moderate drinking can have a beneficial effect on heart disease and cerebrovascular accident (CVA). "However, the beneficial protective effect of alcohol on the heart disappears in cases of excessive intake," the agency said.One of the most effective ways to curb alcohol consumption, especially among younger groups, is raising taxes, the report said. Set age limits for purchasing and consuming alcohol and to regulate alcohol levels in drivers also reduces the abuse if they apply, but few countries use these policies.