Alcohol

There is a long history of alcohol consumption in many societies, including our own; however it is only relatively recently that advances in scientific knowledge have given us a greater understanding of alcohol’s harmful effects on the body. Cumulative research has shown alcohol to be linked to more than 60 types of disease, disability and injury.

Harmful use of alcohol is now the third (out of 26) leading contributor to disease burden in developed countries, and the leading risk factor for young people. Unlike most other risk factors for developed countries, such as tobacco, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, alcohol use can have a detrimental effect on health in early life.