Mexico is already third in the Americas in deaths due to alcohol consumption, after the United States and Brazil, according to a study by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) published in the journal Addiction. Around 80 percent of deaths related to alcoholic beverage consumption in the Americas are concentrated in three of the most populated countries: the United States, with 36.9 percent; Brazil, with 24.8 percent; and Mexico, with 18.4 percent.
The intake of alcoholic beverages caused an average of 85,000 deaths annually between 2013 and 2015 in the Americas, where per capita consumption is 25 percent higher than the world average, according to PAHO research. This study shows that the harmful consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Americas should be one of the highest public health priorities.
Deaths due to alcohol consumption can be prevented and even have more years of life despite this disease, therefore, the importance of public health measures to reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages was emphasized. The analysis of mortality data in 30 countries of the continent shows that, on average, 85,32 deaths were attributed to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which corresponds to 1.4 percent:
64.9 percent of those deaths were among people under 60 years of age and were mainly due to liver disease and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as alcohol dependence More men than women died from drinking alcoholic beverages, with men accounting for 83.1 percent of deaths attributable to alcohol consumption. The largest gender disparities were in El Salvador and Belize, while the gap was smallest in Canada and the United States.
Meanwhile, the agency of the United Nations (UN) urged to curb the consumption of alcoholic beverages, so it recommended measures such as increasing taxes and imposing restrictions on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of these products. Another simple but forceful measure is to limit the hours of sale and reduce the concentration of points of sale of these products in a community.
The study also shows that the group most affected in deaths caused by alcohol consumption are men aged 50 to 59. The harmful consumption of these beverages results in the death of people who are in the prime of their lives. This is a loss not only to their families but also to the economy and society as a whole.
During the covid-19 pandemic, alcoholic beverages have been promoted through social media and their availability has increased in many countries due to easier access to online shopping and home deliveries. It is presumed that those most likely to increase their drinking in the face of the pandemic were already binge drinking earlier. Alcohol outlets, such as bars and nightclubs, attract crowds that do not respect the use of masks or healthy distance.