Facts and figures
The bare facts
We know what can and needs to be done to help reduce the burden of psychoactive substance use. Therefore, WHO is committed to assisting countries in the development, organization, monitoring and evaluation of treatment and other services.
- The harmful use of alcohol results in 3.3 million deaths each year.
- On average every person in the world aged 15 years or older drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per year.
- Less than half the population (38.3%) actually drinks alcohol, this means that those who do drink consume on average 17 litres of pure alcohol annually.
- Some 31 million persons have drug use disorders.
- Almost 11 million people inject drugs, of which 1.3 million are living with HIV, 5.5 million with hepatitis C, and 1 million with both HIV and hepatitis C.
More information:
Latest news
- Implementation of WHO’s global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol during the first decade since its endorsement, and the way forward
- Harmful use of alcohol kills more than 3 million people each year, most of them men
- Global status report on alcohol and health 2018
- Update of global data on prevention and treatment resources for substance use disorders
- Dialogue with representatives of the video games and related industries on public health implications of gaming
Latest publications
WHO REFERENCES
UN REFERENCES
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The Global Information System on Alcohol and Health
Gives you access to a wide range of alcohol-related health indicators.