The World Health Organization (WHO) is meeting in Auckland, New Zealand to develop a global strategy to address youth binge drinking, OneNews reported Sept. 22.

Alcohol is blamed for 4 percent of all disease and injuries globally and 5.5 percent in Asia. In China, youth drinking has risen 500 percent over the past 20 years, and up to 80 percent of beds in Chinese mental-health facilities are now being used for alcohol-related disorders.

The WHO's Vladimir Poznyak said that binge drinking is a problem all over the world, including among young women. The agency says alcohol is the world's biggest health challenge after tobacco, but few nations are prepared to deal with excessive drinking. "Even in many developed countries the range of services available for people with alcohol-use disorders is not very broad," said Poznyak.