Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for death and disability.

Drinking alcohol contributes to nearly 3 million deaths globally and the risk for death increases with the number of alcoholic drinks consumed daily, according to data published in The Lancet.

Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for death and disability.

Griswold and colleagues analyzed 1,286 studies and data sources to estimate the prevalence of drinking alcohol worldwide and the health risks associated with alcohol, including alcohol-attributed deaths. The researchers defined a standard alcoholic drink as containing 10 g of alcohol.

Data showed that 32.5% of the global population, equating to 2.4 billion people, drink alcohol, including 25% of women and 39% of men. Women drank an average of 0.73 alcoholic drinks daily, while men drank 1.7 drinks.

Drinking alcohol contributes to nearly 3 million deaths globally and the risk for death increases with the number of alcoholic drinks consumed daily.

 In 2016, alcohol consumption was the seventh leading   risk factor for premature death and disease worldwide   and contributed to 2.2% of deaths in women and 6.8%     deaths in men, according to the researchers.

 However, drinking alcohol was the leading factor for   premature death and disease among individuals aged   between 15 and 95 years and contributed to 3.8% of   deaths in women and 12.2% of deaths in   men.  Tuberculosis (1.4% of deaths), road injuries (1.2%) and self-harm (1.1%) were the most common alcohol-related causes of death in this age group. Cancers were the most common cause of alcohol-related death among adults aged 50 years and older, accounting for 27.1% of deaths in women and 18.9% of deaths in men.

Alcohol appeared to protect against ischemic heart disease and possibly diabetes and ischemic stroke. However, drinking any amount of alcoholic drinks increased the risk for all other health issues and thus, the adverse effects of alcohol outweighed the protective effect.

Alcohol was not safe to consume at any level, according to the researchers. For example, individuals who consumed one alcoholic drink per day had a 0.5% higher risk for an alcohol-related health problem, compared with those who did not drink at all. The risk for an alcohol-related health problem increased to 7% in individuals who consumed two drinks per day and to 27% in those who had five drinks per day.

Alcohol use and its harmful effects on health could become a growing challenge as countries become more developed, and enacting or maintaining strong alcohol control policies will be vital.

Worldwide, we need to revisit alcohol control policies and health programs, and to consider recommendations for abstaining from alcohol.