Analysis of gaps in alcohol policies in Brazil using the Pan American Health Organization’s Alcohol Policy Scoring

Alcohol consumption is the seventh leading cause of preventable death worldwide, representing at least 3 million deaths per year and the major cause of death among people aged 15 to 49 years ( Global Burden of Disease [GBD], 2017 ; World Health Organization [WHO], 2018 ).

In 2016, Brazil’s average annual consumption was estimated at 7.8L of pure alcohol per capita, higher than the world average of 6.4L and slightly lower than the American continent average of 8L ( WHO, 2018 ). It is estimated that Brazil spends around 7.3% of its annual GDP on alcohol-related problems, from treatment to loss of productivity result- ing from alcohol consumption ( Gallassi et al., 2008 ).

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