PAHO: Alcohol killed 85,000, factor in 300,000-plus annual deaths

A study by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) found alcohol consumption was a contributing factor in over 300,000 annual deaths in the Americas.

PAHO is therefore urging countries in the Americas to limit alcohol sales, ban advertising and increase taxes in a bid to discourage alcohol use, a release on Monday said.

The study, which was published in the journal Addiction on Monday, also revealed alcohol use alone killed an average of 85,000 people during the period 2013-2015 in the Americas, where per capita consumption is 25 per cent higher than the global average.

Director of PAHO’s department of noncommunicable diseases and mental health Dr Anselm Hennis said the study showed the harmful impact of alcohol use in the Americas is a “major public health priority.

“It is associated with preventable deaths and many years of life lived with a disability. We need effective, feasible and sustainable interventions, policies and programs to reduce the consumption of alcohol.”

The release said the study, which showed the mortality data in 30 countries of the Americas, the largest of its kind in the region, revealed the majority of deaths – 64.9 per cent – occurred in people under 60.

The findings revealed the causes of death were mainly liver disease (63.9 per cent) and neuropsychiatric disorders (27.4 per cent), such as alcohol dependence.

It also showed more men than women died from drinking, with men accounting for 83.1 per cent of deaths solely due to alcohol consumption. The greatest gender disparities were observed in El Salvador and Belize, and the gap was smallest in the US and Canada, the release said.

The data showed about 80 per cent of the deaths in which alcohol was a “necessary cause” occurred in three of the most populated countries — the US (36.9 per cent), Brazil (24.8 per cent) and Mexico (18.4 per cent).

The release also said the rates of “alcohol-attributable mortality” were highest in Nicaragua (23.2 per 100,000 people) and Guatemala (19 per 100,000), even though these countries have relatively lower per-capita alcohol consumption.

The study showed high-income countries had a higher per-capita alcohol consumption compared to low- and middle-income countries that have a higher rate of mortality despite the same level of drinking.

The release said this may be due to comparatively poorer access to medical services, health information, and good nutrition as well as limited transportation in emergency situations.

PAHO’s senior advisor on alcohol Dr Maristela Monteiro said the harmful use of alcohol is killing people in the prime of their lives.

“The study demonstrates that the greatest proportion of deaths fully attributable to alcohol consumption are occurring prematurely among people between the ages of 50 and 59, and mostly among men.

"This is a loss not only for their families but also for the economy and the larger society.”

The pandemic has led to increased alcohol use in many countries owing to easier access to online purchases and home delivery. Monteiro said when returning to the “new normal” after the pandemic, alcohol policies must be protected and strengthened.