According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) in Tehran Sunday, the report by WHO was unveiled in Geneva, urging governments to implement measures to prevent drinking habits that damage health and cause other social problems.

The report which was called ‘Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health,' has said that harmful alcohol use was increasingly affecting the younger generations and drinkers in the developing countries.

“Many countries recognize the serious public health problems caused by the harmful use of alcohol and have taken steps to prevent the health and social burdens and treat those in need of care,” said Ala Alwan, the WHO Assistant Director-General for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health.

“But clearly much more needs to be done to reduce the loss of life and suffering associated with harmful alcohol use.”

It recalled that the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, endorsed by WHO member States in May 2010, promoted a range of proven effective measures for reducing alcohol-related harm.

The measures included taxation on alcohol to reduce harmful drinking, decreasing availability by reducing outlets licensed to sell alcohol, raising age limits for those buying and using alcohol, and enforcing effective measures to prevent driving under the influence of alcohol.