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Alcohol is the world’s third largest risk factor for disease and ‘contributes to 4% of the global burden of disease.’ (Rehm, 2009, p.135) ‘It is estimated that 2.5 million deaths each year are directly attributable to alcohol, with 9% of deaths in the 15-29 year age group being alcohol-related. And it contributes to 3.2% of mortality worldwide. It is also considered as a major threat to the health of adolescents, although the main burden of chronic alcohol related disease is in adults, its foundation often lies in adolescence.’ (Bellis et al, 2009, p.45)
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Furthermore, alcohol-related harm among adolescents cannot be over-emphasized. Its use in adolescents, particularly risky use was associated with an increased risk of incurring negative outcomes. Alcohol-related harm in adolescents is an important public health concern because most of the widespread sexual assaults among teenagers are associated with risky alcohol use. ‘Over the past 10 years, the use of drugs covertly to incapacitate potential victims for the purpose of sexual assault has been identified. However, recent evidence from forensic studies indicates that alcohol is much more commonly implicated in the cases of drug facilitated sexual assault when victims are too intoxicated to give consent.’ (Olszewski, 2009, p.39)
Conclusively, alcohol-related harm should be a matter for public health concern because since the last decade, alcohol consumption has risen in developing countries, where it takes a heavy toll. ‘Alcohol-related problems are at epidemic levels and are responsible for 3.5% of disability-adjusted life yearly lost globally.’ (Jernigan et al, 2000, p.4)
References
Jernigan David, Monteiro Maristela, Robin Room, Shekhar Saxena, (2000), Towards a Global Alcohol Policy: Alcohol, Public Health and the Role of WHO, Bulletin of the World Health Organization (online).78, pp. 491-499, [viewed 03 March, 2022.] Retrieved from https://www.scielosp.org/article/bwho/2000.v78n4/491-499/en/
Olszewski Deborah, (2009), Sexual Assaults facilitated by drugs or alcohol, Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, (online). 16, (1), pp. 39-52, [viewed 03 March, 2022.] Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/09687630802128756
Bellis Michael, (2002), Development Traumatology: a contributory mechanism for alcohol and substance use disorders, PNEC Psychoneuroendocrinology (online) 27, pp. 155-170 [Viewed 03 March, 2022] Retrieved from, https://www.scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=bellis+on+alcohol+adolescent
Rehm Jurgen (2011), The Risk Associated with Alcohol use and Alcoholism, The Journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (online) 34 (2), pp. 135-43 [viewed 03 March 2022] retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221828484_
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