A latest report released by the World Health Organisation shows that more than 3 million global deaths in 2012 were alcohol related.
WHO urged all countries to step up efforts in preventing deaths due to alcohol. Researchers examined 194 countries for the study and found that alcohol abuse was linked to increased risk of more than 200 diseases, including liver cirrhosis and some cancers. The report stated that 3.3 million deaths worldwide are due to alcohol abuse.
"More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption," Dr Oleg Chestnov, a WHO expert on chronic disease and mental health, said in a press release. "(There is) no room for complacency."
According to the researchers, anyone 15 years of age or above consumed liquor on an average of 6.2 litresof pure alcohol yearly. But as only half of the world's population, 38.3 percent, imbibes alcohol the average goes up to 17 liters .
"We found that worldwide about 16 percent of drinkers engage in heavy episodic drinking - often referred to as 'binge-drinking' - which is the most harmful to health," said Dr Shekhar Saxena, director for mental health and substance abuse at the WHO.
The report also revealed that poor people were mostly affected by the harmful effects of alcohol. This was because of lack of medical care and a good social network. It also found that while some countries have been working to prevent alcohol use by imposing high taxes and age restrictions, other countries still need to come up with more efficient policies.
