ABSTRACT
CONTENTS 4.1 Introduction..................................................................................... 50 4.2 Health Risk ...................................................................................... 51
4.2.1 Global Burden of Disease..................................................... 51 4.2.2 Health Problems .................................................................. 53 4.2.3 Problems Arising from Intoxication...................................... 54 4.2.4 Alcohol and HIV/AIDS ....................................................... 54
4.3 Development Issues.......................................................................... 55 4.3.1 Additional Burden................................................................ 56 4.3.2 Gender Issue ........................................................................ 56 4.3.3 Children and Young People ................................................. 57 4.3.4 Economic Burden ................................................................ 58 4.3.5 Industrialization of Alcohol Production................................ 59 4.3.6 Alcohol Revenue .................................................................. 60
4.4 Consumption Levels and Trends...................................................... 60 4.4.1 Consumption Patterns ......................................................... 62
4.5 Driving Forces for Harm.................................................................. 63 4.5.1 Global Industry .................................................................... 64
4.5.2 Social Aspects Organizations ................................................ 65 4.5.3 Global Marketing................................................................. 66
4.6 Policy and Intervention for Health and Development...................... 68 4.6.1 Alcohol Control Policy......................................................... 69 4.6.2 Taxation and the Price of Alcohol........................................ 69 4.6.3 Regulating Physical Availability ............................................ 70 4.6.4 Dealing with the Illicit Alcohol Trade.................................. 72 4.6.5 Drinking and Driving Countermeasures .............................. 72 4.6.6 Restrictions on Advertising................................................... 73 4.6.7 Best Practices........................................................................ 74 4.6.8 Need for Global Leadership ................................................. 74 4.6.9 Community Action .............................................................. 75
4.7 Recommendations for Development ................................................ 76 References ................................................................................................. 77
4.1 Introduction Alcohol constitutes a double-sided problem in the developing world: on one hand, drinking is in many places a severe and additional burden to the poor and under privileged, and on the other hand, we also see that new drinking habits, increasing consumption levels, and rising problems occur among a growing middle class in a number of countries. Often alcohol is used to symbolize the adherence to a Western, global culture and belonging to those who can afford such luxuries. Although consumption is stagnating or even decreasing in the Western world, World Health Organization (WHO) points out that the two regions showing recent and continu ing increases in consumption are the South-East Asia region and the Western Pacific region [1]. Alcohol’s negative impact on health is well accepted, but alcohol’s role in the Global Burden of Disease might not be as well recognized. Alcohol is the number five risk to premature death and disability in the world. In some developing countries, it is the biggest risk factor [2]. This underscores the fact that alcohol is not just any other ordinary commodity [3].
