Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004

Overview

The Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004 is the second global status report on alcohol published by WHO. The first report was published in 1999. This report provides an update on the global picture of the status of alcohol as a factor in world health and seeks to document what is known about alcohol consumption and drinking patterns among various population groups.

The report consists of two parts. The first part presents an overview and comparative analyses of the alcohol situation on a regional and global basis using indicators such as alcohol consumption and use, prevalence rates and drinking patterns. There is also a discussion on the health and social consequences of alcohol use. The second part of the report consists of a CD-ROM which presents individual country profiles for all Member States for which sufficient data were available. The profiles bring together information on each of these indicators: trends in adult per capita consumption as well as prevalence/drinking patterns data, information regarding traditional and/or locally brewed alcoholic beverages, unrecorded alcohol consumption, health and social problems, including morbidity and mortality from alcohol-related causes, and the social and economic costs of alcohol abuse.

The Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004 presents evidence that will hopefully stimulate further efforts to document alcohol use, problems and policies in WHO Member States.