Alcohol

Globally, the Western Pacific Region has some of the highest alcohol consumption among adults. Between 2000-2016, the percentage of drinkers increased in the Western Pacific. During the same period of time, the total alcohol per-capita consumption in the Region increased from 4.8 litres to 7.3 litres, surpassing the global average by almost 10%.

The volume of alcohol consumed and patterns of consumption vary substantially between countries and areas. The greatest levels of alcohol consumption occur in high-income countries, with a slight and sustained decrease in alcohol consumption over the past decade. Over the last two decades, alcohol consumption has dramatically increased in low- and middle-income countries and areas.

Consumption of alcohol is a preventable risk factor that can cause premature death and over 200 diseases including 7 types of cancer, neuropsychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver and several infectious diseases.

In addition to its risk to noncommunicable diseases, alcohol use has been identified as an important risk factor for different types of injury including road traffic injuries, drowning, fall and violence. Globally, an estimated 900 000 injury deaths in 2016 were attributable to alcohol, including around 41% of deaths due to road injuries, 17% due to self-harm and around 10% due to interpersonal violence. In the same year the rate of alcohol-attributable deaths in the Region was 24.3 per 100 000 people. 

To solve future problems associated with alcohol, we must take action now to discourage alcohol consumption in the first place. It is important to tackle the underlying causes of alcohol consumption, and in turn prevent alcohol-related health loss, including from injury and violence. This includes identifying and addressing the social and commercial determinants that contribute to alcohol-related harm and identifying synergies between alcohol control and other interventions, such as policies that regulate drink and drive.  

WHO in the Western Pacific supports countries in the dissemination and implementation of WHO’s technical guidance through the SAFER initiative, which outlines 5 evidence-based recommendations to preventing and reducing alcohol-related harms. WHO supports monitoring and evaluation of intervention progress. 

The following targets and frameworks guide the Region's work to help countries prevent and respond to alcohol-related harm:

• Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
• Sustainable Development Goal target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.
• The Global Action Plan on the Prevention and Control of NCD 2013-2020, includes a global target of at least 10% relative reduction in the harmful use of alcohol, as appropriate, within the national context by 2025.
• The WHO Global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol contains 10 target areas to reduce the harm from alcohol.