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Alcohol consumption contributed to 2.6 million deaths worldwide, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization<\/a>, with psychoactive drug use responsible for another .6 million. <\/p>\n Together, those numbers represented 4.7% of all deaths total worldwide.<\/p>\n Those most affected were young people age 20 to 39\u2014specifically men, who accounted for 2 million of those deaths, with most occurring in Europe and Africa.<\/p>\n And while there has been some reduction in alcohol-related deaths since 2010, the recently reported numbers\u2014which represent 145 countries from 2019\u2014show a stubborn, lethal problem, and \u201cthe overall number of deaths due to alcohol consumption<\/a> remains unacceptably high,\u201d notes the report<\/a>, which was released in June.<\/p>\n Globally, an estimated 400 million people, or 7% of the world\u2019s population aged 15 years and The specific causes of death were far-reaching, based on 31 health conditions that could, based on scientific evidence, be connected to alcohol use.<\/p>\n It was a similar case when looking at the use of psychoactive drugs\u2014defined by WHO as substances which have the ability to change \u201cconsciousness, mood or thinking processes\u201d and include nicotine, \u201cSubstance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health conditions, and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year. It places a heavy burden on families and communities, increasing exposure to accidents, injuries, and violence,\u201d Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said in a press release about the findings. \u201cTo 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Of all deaths\u00a0that could be traced to alcohol in 2019, the report found that an estimated 1.6 million were from noncommunicable diseases, including 474,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 401,000 from cancer.<\/p>\n In addition, 724,000 deaths were due to injuries, including traffic accidents, self-harm and \u201cinterpersonal violence,\u201d while another 284,000 deaths were linked to communicable diseases such as HIV, as alcohol consumption has been shown to increase the risk of transmission because of the higher risk of having unprotected sex. <\/p>\n Causes of death connected with drug use included stroke and coronary artery disease, accidental injury, violence, suicide, and cancer.<\/p>\n Finally, the WHO report highlights the fact that access to quality treatment for substance More on alcohol and your health: <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
older, live with alcohol use disorders, defined by<\/a> the\u00a0Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders<\/em>\u00a0(DSM-5)\u00a0<\/strong>as \u201ca problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.\u201d An estimated 209 million (3.7% of the adult world population), meanwhile, live with alcohol dependence<\/a>.<\/p>\n
opioids, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines and other stimulants, hallucinogens, hypnotics and
sedatives, and psychoactive inhalants. <\/p>\n
use disorders is still largely limited or unaffordable for those who need it most. \u201cThis affects almost half
a billion of people worldwide who live with alcohol or drug use disorders,\u201d notes Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the report, pointing to \u201cstigma, discrimination and misconceptions about the efficacy of treatment\u201d as stubborn factors.<\/p>\nRecommended Newsletter:<\/strong> Subscribe to Next to Lead, Fortune\u2019s weekly newsletter offering expert leadership strategies and insights for every stage of your career. Subscribe now<\/a>.<\/div>\n