The World Health Organization (WHO) says that the harmful use of alcohol causes approximately 3 million deaths every year, and the overall burden of disease and injuries attributable to alcohol consumption remains unacceptably high.
To effectively implement the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, the WHO’s Executive Board has requested that the Director-General create and adopt a new action plan for the 2022–2030 period.
The board added that the technical report on issues related to the harmful use of alcohol should look at international alcohol marketing, advertising, and promotion that target young people and adolescents.
The comes at a tine when the world is still experiencing the ripple effect of Covid-19 which has had a devastating effect on the world, our country, the economy, fragile healthcare systems and society at large. Alcohol not only causes irreparable harm to the individual drinking it but also to those who are close to them.
A recent report by Changes Rehabilitation Centre noted that 20% of people diagnosed with a mental illness also struggle with substance abuse issues.
Having stringent policy revisions on alcohol sales will have an array of positive effects on people's health, and see a decline in the alcohol-related trend of gender-based violence and alcohol-induced mortality rates in South Africa.
The South African Medical Research Council says that alcohol kills people from all socio-economic backgrounds, but more particularly men from lower and middle socio-economic levels.
“In 2015, it was estimated that between 27 000 and 103 000 people in South Africa died because of alcohol – i.e. between 74 and 282 adults per day.”
The Less Alcohol Webinar Series, introduced in 2021, aims to assist countries in identifying and addressing crucial blind spots for the efficient implementation of alcohol control policies, by employing the best research and local expertise.
According to the WHO report, the main goal of the report and policy transformation was to bring about change by: "Considering the public health effects of zero and low-alcohol beverages, the need for gender-responsive alcohol control policies, the impact of increased availability of home-delivery alcoholic beverages, and the challenges posed by allogeneic settings and cultures, among others."
This can be achieved by focusing on three key determinants driving the consumption of alcohol: acceptability, availability, and affordability.
The WHO’s approach aims to mitigate the burden of ill health, disease, and disability attributable to alcohol by recognizing that behavioural choices are influenced by economic, and cultural acceptance.
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