The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about the consequences of alcohol consumption, stating that in 2012 it produced more than 3.3 million deaths in the world .
The WHO report highlights that consuming alcohol causes more deaths among men than among women and increases the risk of developing more than 200 diseases . The figures are alarming: people over 15 years of age consume an average of 6.2 liters of pure alcohol per year; on the other hand, around 40% of the population (38.5%) drink an average of 17 liters of alcohol per year.
If we talk about the areas with the highest consumption, Europe is undoubtedly the area of the planet where more alcohol is consumed per person on average , with 10.9 liters per year, followed by America and Africa. The WHO report also warns that consumption is increasing in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. In Spain, the average is 11.2 liters of pure alcohol per year, somewhat higher than the European average even.
To help protect people from the consequences of alcohol consumption, some countries are already taking measures such as increasing the drinking age or raising taxes for this type of drink. The WHO, for its part, asks governments to develop more actions of this type to raise awareness in society of the risks it poses to health.
