A nation drinking itself to the grave

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Some 34 per cent of local alcohol consumers engage in binge drinking and 40.6 per cent of men engage in heavy episodic drinking.

Dar es Salaam. A rising number of Tanzanians are drinking themselves into an early grave, according to a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report. The 2014 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health suggests that thousands of young Tanzanians will die if the government does not step in. The harmful use of alcohol is a factor in more than 200 diseases and injury conditions, according to the report that provides country profiles for the 194 WHO member states. “More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption,” says Dr Oleg Chestnov, WHO assistant director-general for non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health. “The report clearly shows that there is no room for complacency when it comes to reducing the harmful use of alcohol.”

A nation drinking itself to the grave

What you need to know:

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