Alcohol as a public health risk: New evidence demands a stronger global response

Abstract

Room. R. (2013). Alcohol as a public health risk: New evidence demands a stronger global response. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 2(1), 7-9.  doi: 10.7895/ijadr.v2i1.134  (http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v2i1.134)Alcohol ranks third as a risk factor for health in the Comparative Risk Assessment (CRA) in the Global Burden of Disease analyses for 2010.  New analyses of alcohol’s role in tuberculosis and in the course of HIV/AIDS add diseases especially important in low- and middle-income countries to the picture.  A meta-analysis of price elasticity of alcohol in such countries draws together evidence relevant to a policy response, while illuminating the thinness of coverage for much of the world.  Alcohol is arguably the most complex risk factor, with links to more than 200 ICD codes. The abundance of alcohol references in the report of the CRA study reflects the strength and breadth of the findings on alcohol’s adverse effects on health. The CRA findings point to the need for a stronger global public health response on alcohol issues.