DHAKA: More than 3 million people died from using alcohol in 2012, for reasons ranging from cancer to violence, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday, as it called on governments to do more to limit the damage.

‘More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption,’ said Oleg Chestnov, a WHO expert on chronic disease and mental health, reports The Straits Times.

He added there was ‘no room for complacency’, warning that drinking too much kills more men then women, raises people's risk of developing more than 200 diseases, and killed 3.3 million people in 2012.

On average, according to the WHO report, every person in the world aged 15 years or older drinks 6.2 liters of pure alcohol per year. But less than half the population, 38.3 percent, drinks, so those who do drink on average 17 liters of pure alcohol a year.

BDST: 2044 HRS, MAY 12, 2014