SAFER

A WORLD FREE FROM ALCOHOL RELATED HARMS

SAFER is a World Health Organization (WHO)-led initiative to reduce death, disease, and injuries caused by the harmful use of alcohol using high-impact, evidence-based, cost-effective interventions.

The SAFER action package:

S Strengthen restrictions on alcohol availability

A Advance and enforce drink driving countermeasures

F Facilitate access to screening, brief interventions, and treatment

E Enforce bans or comprehensive restrictions on alcohol advertising, sponsorship, and promotion

R Raise prices on alcohol through excise taxes and pricing policies

The SAFER initiative includes three interlinked components to support country implementation:

1. WHO action package of effective alcohol policy and program interventions.

2. WHO/UN-led program focusing on country action; and3. Multi-stakeholder communications and advocacy campaign.

The harmful use of alcohol: A health and development priority

Over three million people die every year - one person every 10 seconds - from an alcohol-related cause. The harmful use of alcohol is a major obstacle to sustainable development and adversely affects the health and well-being of alcohol users, their families, colleagues, and communities.

Alcohol consumption causes death and disability early in life, reducing the economic capacities of societies: 13.5% of all deaths among youth 20 to 29 years of age are attributed to alcohol. Over 5% of the global burden of disease and injury is because of alcohol. Harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than two hundred diseases, health conditions and injuries, including:

Noncommunicable diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases;
Death and disability, including workplace and road traffic injuries and fatalities;
Interpersonal violence, including domestic violence and child abuse; • Infectious diseases, including TB and HIV/AIDS; and
Maternal morbidity and child under-development.

Despite evidence of the alcohol-related burden and availability of best buy policy solutions, most countries have not yet prioritized alcohol policy, nor implemented effective interventions. Three key strategies will ensure country success:

1. Implement: Strong political will, adequate resources and technical and institutional capacity are critical to enacting the SAFER interventions at the country level.

2. Monitor: Strong monitoring systems must support implementation, to enable accountability and track progress.

3. Protect: Alcohol control measures must be guided and formulated by public health interests and protected from industry interference and commercial interests.

Partners from governments, philanthropy, civil society and selected private sector entities should provide support for country action.

Implementing SAFER will:

Save 100,000 lives by 2030.
Provide more than USD 9 in return for every USD 1 invested.
Protect billions of people from the socioeconomic impact of harmful alcohol use; and
Contribute to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

SAFER contributes to ending the vicious cycle of SAFER contributes to economic growth, alcohol, and poverty. Improvements in economic productivity and reduced

SAFER helps break the vicious cycle of deprivation, economic costs due to alcohol-related harm. Alcohol and hunger.

SAFER helps reduce socio-economic inequalities.

SAFER promotes good health and well-being for all SAFER provides solutions to make cities and through the life course. communities more inclusive, enabling and safer for all.

SAFER prevents and reduces the negative impact of SAFER contributes to ending all forms of violence alcohol harm on the education of children. Against children.

SAFER helps to promote healthy gender norms and to SAFER is an innovative partnership for sustainable end violence against women. development.

Get in touch to get involved

For further information about SAFER, please contact:

1.The WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse ([email protected]); or

2.The Secretariat of the United Nations Interagency Task Force on NCDs ([email protected]). WHO/MSD/MSB/18.1