Worldwide, 107 million people suffer from alcohol use disorder.5 Alcohol use disorder normally develops in people’s 20s and 30s, although affected individuals typically start to drink too much in their mid-teens.1 Men are more likely to have alcohol use disorder than women.1,6
Harmful alcohol use is a causal factor in more than 200 health conditions, ranging from liver diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular disease to HIV/AIDS.7 In a multinational survey of 2,979 alcohol-dependent patients, 77% suffered from at least one comorbid condition.8 There is also a causal relationship between harmful use of alcohol and a range of behavioural and mental disorders.7
In 2016, alcohol use ranked as the seventh biggest risk factor worldwide, for early death and disability, accounting for 2.2% of all deaths in women and 6.8% of all deaths in men.9 Among people aged 15–49 years, alcohol use was the leading risk factor for premature death, responsible for 3.8% of deaths in women and 12.2% of deaths in men.9 Many of these deaths, particularly in younger age groups, are from injuries relating to road traffic accidents and violence, alcohol-related injuries and also from suicides.7
A global survey by the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that people with alcohol use disorder miss an average of two extra days of work or activities per year.10 The disorder can also affect a person’s mental health, emotions, and relationships with their family and colleagues.6