SNPG 945: Alcohol Consumption and Its Effects on Global Health

This essay examines the significant health concerns associated with alcohol consumption globally, highlighting the increasing prevalence of alcoholism and related deaths. It discusses the incidence and prevalence of alcohol consumption, particularly in India, and analyzes the at-risk cohorts, including teenagers and young adults. The essay explores health promotion strategies implemented by the WHO and governments, such as raising awareness, improving healthcare access, regulating alcohol availability, and pricing strategies. It concludes by emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies to address the detrimental health effects of excessive alcohol consumption, especially among younger generations, and the importance of governmental initiatives to combat underage drinking and promote public health.

Running head: ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND ITS EFFECTS
1
Alcohol Consumption And Its Effects
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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In recent times, alcohol and smoking together have caused significant health concerns in
society and all around the globe. The percentage of alcoholics has been increasing day by
day, and with it, the alcohol-related deaths are also rising significantly, which makes it a real
national concern. The local and state governments have taken necessary preventive measures
to address the issue. However, the approach taken to fight against alcoholism is different
from each other. Alcohol is like a drug which mostly affects the younger
generation(Crawford-Williams, Roberts & Watts, 2016). The reason for the same is not yet
generalized. It was found that teenagers who reached a particular age are often influenced by
their friends to consume alcohol. For young people, it is a kind of relaxation or a fun activity
for them, soon it becomes a regular habit for them, leading to many serious health problems.
Alcoholism can also result from the misconception that it is suitable for getting temporary
relief from the harsh realities of life. Besides, in some cultures, people often consume alcohol
to celebrate a successful feat. Due to these issues, alcoholism had significantly impacted the
well being of an individual, making it harder to achieve their personal goals and lead a
healthy life.
Discussion
Incidence and Prevalence
Globally, around 3 million deaths result due to excessive alcohol consumption. Overall, 5.2%
of the global burden of disease is associated with alcohol. The consumption of alcohol causes
death and disabilities among people. The age group of 20-40 years is mostly affected by
alcohol consumption and accounts for around 13.7% of the total deaths caused by
alcohol(Delker, Brown & Hasin, 2016).

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Consumption of alcohol is quite common in India both in the rural and urban areas with a
prevalence varying from 24% to 75% among males and around 25% to 50% in females.
According to the data in 2005, the estimated number of people consuming alcohol in India
was 63 million, with 18% of the population suffering from alcohol-related disorders.
According to a community-based study conducted in 2013, it was found that the prevalence
of alcohol consumption was common among males(Manimunda, Sugunan, Thennarasu,
Pandian, Pesala & Benegal, 2017). Among those males, 13% of them were illiterate, 30%
were hazardous drinkers, 35% had alcohol dependence, and the rest suffered from severe
alcohol-related health problems. According to WHO reports, Indians consumed around 2.5
billion liters of alcohol in 2005, which excelled at 4.5 billion liters in 2010 and again raised to
5.8 billion liters in 2016. It is estimated that it will touch 6.8 billion liters at the end of 2020.
The report stated that the rate of alcohol consumption in India had increased significantly
from 2005 to 2016(Verenkar & Vaz, 2018). The states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh are among the highest alcohol consumers in India.
According to reports in 2016, more than 3 million people from excessive alcohol
consumption. The report also stated that both men and women who consumed excessive
alcohol were found to suffer from liver cirrhosis and cancer. Out of all the death due to
alcohol consumption, 30% are found to be associated with injuries or car accidents, 22%
resulted from digestive disorders, and the rest deaths are caused by cardiovascular diseases.
Cohort most at risk
The effect of alcohol is different for different age groups. The teenagers are more preferable
to consume alcohol. Studies found that younger people are much more likely to drink alcohol
than older people. Binge drinking is the most common cause of destructive patterns of
excessive alcohol use in the United States. It is most common among younger adults aged 18-
35 years. It has serious ill effects on an individual's health, causing chronic diseases such as

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND ITS EFFECTS 4
high blood pressure, liver disease, or cardiovascular disease. Excessive alcohol consumption
is also associated with cancer, memory problems, and other alcohol use disorders(Connor,
2017). In adults lying within the age group 36-60 years, alcohol has a more significant impact
since their body's ability to process alcohol slows down, so they are most likely to get
affected by alcohol consumption and are more prone to diseases than the teenagers. The older
adults who are above 60 years, the risk of alcohol consumption is the most. Even a small
amount of alcohol can be detrimental for their health since as people get older, the ability of
their body to retain water reduces. As a result, they have higher levels of BAC (Blood
Alcohol Concentration). So, the prevalence of alcoholism declines with the increasing age.
Health promotion strategies
The WHO has developed global strategies for reducing the harmful effects of alcohol on the
health of the individual and improving their health and social outcomes. The global strategies
will help to promote and support local and global actions, which will prevent and reduce the
harmful effects of alcohol. The global strategies are focussed on the following areas:
Leadership, Promotion of awareness and commitment
Strong leadership and a solid base of awareness and commitment are required to address the
issue of alcohol consumption. The government should develop policies and interventions,
develop national and global plans of action for reducing the harmful use of alcohol. It is
essential to raise awareness among people about the harmful effects and risk factors of
excessive alcohol consumption(Klimas et al, 2018).
Heath service promotion
The government should also ensure more comprehensive access to information for
individuals of all levels of society, along with the provision of proper health service for them.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND ITS EFFECTS 5
They should also support initiatives for screening, identification, interventions, and
prevention of harmful alcohol-related disorders and provide readily available and accessible
healthcare service to peoples(Aid, 2017).
Community action
The government should put a ban or restrict the easy availability of alcohol. It should
establish an appropriate system for regulating the illicit production, wholesale, and
distribution of alcohol by introducing a licensing system on retail sales. It should also
establish an age restriction among people for being eligible to consume alcohol, adopting
policies for preventing alcohol sales to intoxicated persons, or those who are below the legal
age.
Pricing of alcohol
Lastly, the rapid sale of alcohol in rural and urban areas can be restricted by increasing the
prices of alcoholic beverages and other alcohol products, so that the majority of the people
will find them challenging to afford, especially the teenagers or poor, illiterate people. A
sudden hike in alcohol prices will halt the progression towards drinking large volumes of
alcohol and thereby reduces the risk of the individual(Jernigan, Noel, Landon, Thornton &
Lobstein, 2017).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that excessive alcohol consumption has brought many severe and
hazardous effects on the health of people. The teenagers or younger generations are the most
common to consume alcohol regularly and are more likely to be affected. So it is the
responsibility of the government to address this issue, launch campaigns for educating the
common people about the health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption, and

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND ITS EFFECTS 6
develop strategies against the consumption of illegally brewed alcohol as well as put a limit
to underage drinking.

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