WHO: Alcohol kills 1 person every 10 seconds

Alcohol killed or contributed to the deaths of more than 3.3 million people in 2012, according to a new report from the World Health Organization. The report, released Monday, added that alcohol is blamed for one death every 10 seconds.

"More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption," Dr. Oleg Chestnov, a WHO official, said in a statement. There's "no room for complacency."

Alcohol kills more men than women, and increases the risk of contracting dangerous illnesses like cancer. Perhaps more interestingly, in countries where alcohol consumption has been typically low, like China or India, boozing has increased in tandem with wealth.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

For more facts from the report, check out these handy maps compiled by Business Insider.