Alcohol Leaves a Mark: WHO calls for collective action to expose alcohol harms and support stronger regulation

Every drink leaves a mark - on health, on families and on societies. Behind every toast, alcohol insidiously takes its toll as a contributor to a range of negative consequences including cancers and liver disease, road crashes, violence and broken families.

To counter these effects of alcohol, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific is launching "Alcohol Leaves a Mark" − a regional advocacy campaign urging stronger policies and regulation to protect people from the far-reaching harms of alcohol. This follows a resolution on alcohol control unanimously endorsed by all 38 Member States and areas of the Western Pacific Region at the seventy-sixth WHO Regional Committee Meeting (RCM76) held in Fiji on 20-24 October.

Alcohol-related causes kill half a million people each year in the Western Pacific - nearly one person every minute. It is linked to more than 200 diseases and injuries, with impacts that extend far beyond those who drink - harming families, communities and the social fabric that binds them together.

"Alcohol is no ordinary commodity. It is a discretionary, non-essential product that harms not only those who consume it, but also others, leading to a heavy burden on health and societies. It leaves a lasting mark," noted Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. "We must urgently raise awareness and drive action. Governments have the tools - many of them relatively simple yet effective - to regulate alcohol, reduce its harms and protect the most vulnerable, especially children and young people."

A campaign for awareness and action

Alcohol Leaves a Mark aims to highlight the harms of alcohol and call for stronger regulation to protect people's health and well-being. The campaign exposes how alcohol is marketed and normalized despite its damaging impacts on individuals, families and communities, urging collective action to reduce alcohol harms.

Through videos, posters and social media storytelling, the campaign exposes alcohol's ripple effects - ranging from harm to health and addiction, to family separation, violence, road injuries and death. Each story reminds audiences that the real cost of alcohol is paid by people and communities.

The campaign invites policy-makers, health partners, media and the public to share campaign materials, start conversations and support evidence-based regulation. "This campaign is a call to awareness and collective action," said Dr Piukala. "Once we recognize how deeply alcohol harms our loved ones and communities, it's clear that regulation must be put in place to protect them."

Evidence, urgency and momentum

In 2022, per-capita alcohol consumption in the Western Pacific Region averaged 5.2 litres - higher than the global average of 5.0 litres. Meanwhile, alcohol marketing continues to normalize drinking and targetyouth through a variety of digital platforms. Without stronger regulation, consumption is projected to rise further.

The Alcohol Leaves a Mark campaign supports the implementation of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 and the SAFER technical package, which outline the most cost-effective measures to reduce alcohol-related harm. These include:

• Raising taxes and pricing on alcoholic drinks;
• Restricting availability;
• Banning or comprehensively restricting alcohol marketing;
• Enforcing drink−driving countermeasures; and
• Providing accessible screening, brief interventions, treatment and support for alcohol use disorders
  

"Every policy that reduces alcohol use, when implemented and enforced, reduces harms and saves lives," emphasized Dr Hiromasa Okayasu, Director of Health Promotion at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific. "We can no longer afford to see alcohol harm as inevitable − it is preventable and evidence-based policies work." This is a clear message that was delivered to ministers of health from across the Western Pacific Region at RCM76 last week. Alcohol control was deemed a high priority and governments across the Western Pacific have endorsed the need for urgent action.

"Together, we can reveal alcohol'sharms − and prevent new ones from happening," said Dr Piukala. "Join the movement. Share the campaign. Support stronger alcohol regulation. Remember − #AlcoholLeavesAMark. Let's#RegulateAlcoholNow."

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Learn more through the campaign's official page.

For more information and media interviews contact: [email protected]