A new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found 3 million people died in 2016 from alcohol-related causes, and three-quarters of them were men.
This figure equates to one in 20 deaths for the entire year, or 5.3 percent of all deaths globally.
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In New Zealand, the rates were even higher, with 10.9 percent of men dying from alcohol-related accidents alone and only 4.2 percent of women.
According to the global report, 28 percent of the deaths were due to injuries such as car accidents, self-harm and violence; 21 percent were digestive orders and the remaining 51 percent were as a result of diseases, cancers and other health conditions.
Similarly, in 2016 alcohol was also responsible for 7.2 percent of all premature mortalities.
The report also exposed a huge disparity between women and men, estimating 237 million men and 46 million women have alcohol disorders, which are more common in high-income countries. Comparatively, 5.6 percent of men in New Zealand have alcohol disorders and 2.5 percent of women.
The consumption of alcohol in New Zealand is also at a global high. Males over the age of 15 drank 20.2 litres of alcohol in 2016, and women over the age of 15 drank 7.1 litres.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO says the use of alcohol is unacceptably high and harmful.
"Far too many people, their families and communities suffer the consequences of the harmful use of alcohol through violence, injuries, mental health problems and diseases like cancer and stroke."
An estimated 2.3 billion people globally are current drinkers.
Newshub.
