Report finds 13.5% of deaths among people in their 20s are linked to boozeOne in 20 of all deaths due to alcohol, says WHOAlcohol is responsible for more than 5% of all deaths worldwide, or around 3 million a year, new figures have revealed. While the proportion of deaths worldwide that have been linked to alcohol has fallen to 5.3% since 2012, when the figure was at 5.9%, experts say the findings make for sobering reading. “Alcohol use starts in many countries well before [age] 15, so that is why we can say that our estimates are quite conservative, because we don’t count at all the impact of alcohol consumption on kids below 15,” he said. What’s more, while alcohol consumption per person (including non-drinkers) has remained steady overall, it has fallen from 10.9 litres of pure alcohol in 2012 to 9.6 litres in 2016 in Europe. Dr James Nicholls, director of research and policy development at Alcohol Concern/Alcohol Research UK, said the figures confirm that alcohol consumption and harm is falling in Europe, showing that cultures and behaviour around alcohol can change.

Source: The Guardian September 21, 2018 13:00 UTC