Every drink leaves a mark—not only on individual health, but also on families and societies at large. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is keenly aware of the significant toll that alcohol takes, contributing to various negative outcomes such as cancer, liver disease, road accidents, violence, and family breakdowns. To address these issues, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific is launching a regional campaign titled “Alcohol Leaves a Mark,” aimed at advocating for more stringent policies and regulations to mitigate the extensive harms associated with alcohol consumption.
This initiative follows a unanimous resolution on alcohol control that was supported by all 38 Member States during the 76th WHO Regional Committee Meeting (RCM76) held in Fiji from October 20 to 24. Alarmingly, alcohol-related causes claim around half a million lives annually in the Western Pacific—equating to nearly one life every minute. The ramifications of alcohol extend beyond drinkers to affect families, communities, and the very social fabric that holds them together.
Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, emphasized that alcohol is no ordinary commodity. It is a non-essential product whose adverse effects burden both health systems and communities at large. “We must urgently raise awareness and drive action,” he stated, noting that governments have effective tools available to regulate alcohol, reduce its harms, and protect particularly vulnerable populations, including children and youth.
The campaign “Alcohol Leaves a Mark” is designed to raise awareness about the harms of alcohol and instigate a call for stronger regulation. It aims to expose how alcohol is marketed and normalized despite its detrimental effects on physical health, addiction, family stability, and community safety. The campaign will utilize videos, posters, and social media storytelling to illustrate the far-reaching impact of alcohol, prompting conversations about collective responsibility in addressing alcohol-related harms.
Policy-makers, health partners, media, and the public are invited to participate in the campaign by sharing materials and advocating for evidence-based regulation. Dr. Piukala reiterated that recognizing the profound impact of alcohol on loved ones and communities clearly demonstrates the need for protective regulation.
Statistics reveal that in 2022, per capita alcohol consumption in the Western Pacific stood at an average of 5.2 liters, slightly exceeding the global average of 5.0 liters. This level of consumption, combined with ongoing marketing efforts targeting youth through digital platforms, raises concerns about future increases in alcohol use. Without stronger regulation, consumption levels are projected to rise.
The “Alcohol Leaves a Mark” campaign aligns with the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022–2030 and the SAFER technical package, which identify effective measures for reducing alcohol-related harm. These measures include raising taxes on alcoholic drinks, restricting availability, banning or severely limiting alcohol marketing, enforcing drink-driving countermeasures, and offering accessible treatment for alcohol use disorders.
Each policy aimed at reducing alcohol use translates to fewer harms and saved lives, as emphasized by Dr. Hiromasa Okayasu, Director of Health Promotion at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific. He stressed that alcohol-related issues are preventable and that the implementation of evidence-based policies has proven effective.
The discussions during the recent RCM76 underscored that alcohol control is a vital public health priority, prompting a call to action from health ministers across the Western Pacific. “Together, we can reveal alcohol’s harms and prevent new ones from emerging,” Dr. Piukala urged. The movement is inviting more people to join in sharing the campaign’s message: #AlcoholLeavesAMark and #RegulateAlcoholNow, showing that through united efforts, the damaging impact of alcohol can be effectively addressed.
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