Alcohol Addiction

Gude Himabindhu^*
*Correspondence: Gude Himabindhu, Department of Biotechnology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, Tel: 8143389651, Email:

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction is a chronic disease which is uncontrolled drinking both mentally and physically. Alcohol addiction is a psychoactive substance with dependence producing properties that has been used widely in many cultures for centuries. The use of alcohol also results in harm to the other people, such as family members, friends, co-workers, strangers and also results in a significant health, social and economic burden on society. Multiple numbers of factors have been identified at the individual and societal level, which affects. Environmental factors also include like availability of alcohol, economic, development, culture, comprehensiveness and the levels of implementation and enforcement of alcohol policies.

The impact of alcohol consumption on chronic and acute health outcomes in populations is largely determined and by 2 separate but related dimensions of drinking. They are: Total volume of alcohol consumed, and Pattern of drinking. There is gender difference in alcohol-related mortality and morbidity, as well as levels and patterns of alcohol consumption.

The health, safety and socioeconomic problems attributable to alcohol can be effectively reduced and requires actions on levels, patterns and contexts of alcohol consumption of health. Countries are having the responsibility for formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the public policies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. Substantial scientific knowledge exists for policy-makers on effectiveness & cost-effectiveness of the following strategies

• Regulating the marketing of alcoholic beverages (in particular to younger people)

• Regulating & restricting the availability of alcohol

• Enacting appropriate drink and driving policies

• Reducing the demand through taxation and pricing mechanisms

• Raising awareness of public health problems caused by harmful use of alcohol and ensuring support for effective alcohol policies

• Providing the accessible and affordable treatment for people with alcohol use disorders

• Implementing the screening and brief interventions programmes for hazardous and harmful drinking in health services.

According to WHO (World Health Organization)

• Every year 3 million deaths occurs worldwide result from harmful use of alcohol, this represent 5.3 % of all deaths.

• The harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor for more than 200 diseases and injury conditions.

• Alcohol consumption causes deaths and disability relatively early in life.

• In the age group 20–39 years approximately 13.5 % of the total deaths are alcohol-attributable.

• The latest causal relationships have been established between harmful drinking and incidence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis as well as the course of HIV/AIDS.

The harmful use of alcohol is one of the leading health risk factors for population worldwide and has a direct impact on many people’s healthrelated targets. WHO aims to reduce the health burden caused by the harmful use of alcohol and, to save many lives, prevent injuries, diseases and improve the well-being of individuals, and communities.