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“All excess hurts.” This statement, commonly expressed among family members, reflects concern about the consumption habits of a family member. The goal of this message is to raise awareness about the negative consequences that can result from excessive consumer behavior.
One of the harmful habits for health is excessive alcohol consumption. This chemical compound is found in drinks such as beerWine, spirits and distillates can have harmful effects on physical and mental health. Eating it in large quantities affects physical and mental health. In this sense it is appropriate to mention what Global Health Organization (WHO) on the topic in question.
“The harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and disorders. (…) There is a causal relationship between the harmful use of alcohol and a range of mental and behavioral disorders, in addition to non-communicable diseases and trauma.”
Regarding mental disorders caused by excessive alcohol consumption, the Peruvian Ministry of Health (Mensa) published a report on cases treated in various hospitals and health centers in the country. According to this report, 39,488 people were helped between January and October 2023, a number higher than the previous year's figure of 34,716 people.
Among the individuals treated in health facilities, 20,010 adults, 10,748 youth, and 5,300 adolescents were included. In addition, it was reported that 76% of cases were men and 24% were women. The areas that have seen the highest number of cases treated are: CuscoArequipa, La Libertad, Junin and Piura.
With this data, different questions can be asked. However, there is something of particular interest regarding alcohol consumption in Peru: Is Peru the country in Latin America that consumes the most alcohol per year? To answer this question, we must refer to data provided by one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations.
By referring to reliable sources such as the World Health Organization, and based on cases of mental disorders reported by the Ministry of Health, it can be concluded that excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to physical and mental health. However, Mayo Clinic specialists point out that eating it in moderation can provide health benefits, such as potentially reducing the risk of stroke and diabetes.
In the face of this scenario, a growing trend has been observed among people from different parts of the world to reduce their alcohol consumption. This is reflected in statistics provided by the World Health Organization for 2014 and 2019, which provide an overview of per capita alcohol consumption in selected countries in Latin America.
For the year 2019, Argentina topped the list with a per capita consumption of 8 liters of pure alcohol, which shows a decrease compared to the data recorded by the World Health Organization in 2014. After knowing this data, questions arise such as how many percentage points did “gaucho country” decrease? Where is Peru located? Below we will clarify these doubts.
- Argentina: 8 litres
- Brazil: 7.7 litres
- Peru: 7.5 litres
- Hot pepper: 6.7 liters
- Tank: 6.0 litres
- Mexico: 5.7 litres
- Uruguay: 5.5 litres
- Colombia: 4.9 litres
- Honduras: 3.2 litres
- Venezuela: 3.0 litres
- Guatemala: 1.6 litres.
- Chile: 9.6 litres
- Argentina: 9.3 litres
- Venezuela: 8.9 litres
- Paraguay: 8.8 litres
- Brazil: 8.7
- Peru: 8.1
- Panama: 8
- Uruguay: 7.6
- Ecuador: 7.2
- Mexico: 7.2
- Dominican Republic: 6.9.
These data show that alcohol consumption has decreased in most Latin American countries, which is positive for developing countries. It is important to note that Argentina saw its consumption decrease by 1.3 percentage points, while Peru saw a decrease of 0.6.
Finally, it is important to emphasize that alcohol consumption is not only harmful to health. The World Health Organization noted that the consumption of alcoholic beverages “brings significant social and economic losses to individuals and society in general.” It is expected that in the coming reports the annual consumption rate of pure alcohol will decrease again, which will contribute to the well-being of many people.
