More Than 3 Million People Globally Died From Alcohol, Psychoactive Substance Use in 2019: WHO

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) finds more than 3 million people worldwide died from alcohol or psychoactive substance use in 2019.

The report found that 2.6 million deaths per year were attributable to alcohol consumption, accounting for 4.7% of all deaths, while 600,000 deaths were due to psychoactive substance use. The majority of these deaths were among men, UPI reports. People in their 20s and 30s were the age group most likely to die.

“Substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health conditions and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news release. “To build a healthier, more equitable society, we must urgently commit to bold actions that reduce the negative health and social consequences of alcohol consumption and make treatment for substance use disorders accessible and affordable.”