From the ArcaMax Publishing, Science & Technology Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/technology/s-571805-722071
TORONTO (UPI) -- One in 25 deaths worldwide are directly attributable
to alcohol consumption -- an increase mainly due to more women
drinking, Canadian researchers said.
Dr. Jurgen Rehm of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in
Toronto and colleagues found that alcohol-attributable disorders are
among the most disabling disease categories within the global burden
of disease, especially for men.
However, in contrast to other traditional risk factors for disease,
the burden attributable to alcohol lies more with younger people than
with the older population.
"Globally, the effect of alcohol on burden of disease is about the
same size as that of smoking in 2000, but it is relatively greatest in
emerging economies. Global consumption is increasing, especially in
the most populous countries of India and China," Rehm said in a
statement.
The study, published in The Lancet, showed Europe had a high
proportion of deaths related to alcohol, with 10 percent of deaths
directly attributable to alcohol compared to North America's 10 to 11
standard drinks.
Average alcohol consumption in Europe in the adult population is
somewhat higher than in North America: 13 standard drinks per person
per week.
Most of the deaths caused by alcohol were through injuries, cancer,
cardiovascular disease and liver cirrhosis, the study said.