Why this matters
Alcohol is not an ordinary consumer product. It is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance whose harms extend far beyond the individual drinker. Alcohol use affects children and families, contributes to violence and neglect, places significant pressure on health systems, and imposes substantial social and economic costs on communities and societies.
Europe has the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world, with serious consequences for public health. Yet alcohol remains relatively under-regulated, and many proven policies that effectively reduce harm are still not fully implemented. This gap persists despite strong scientific evidence. It is partly driven by industry efforts to protect commercial interests and influence policy debates, as well as by cultural norms, stigma, and limited awareness among the public, health professionals, and policymakers about the scale of alcohol-related harm and the effectiveness of population-level prevention measures.
This is why the work of the European Health Alliance on Alcohol (EHAA) matters. Health professionals witness the impact of alcohol every day in clinical practice and public health settings. By working together, EHAA members aim to strengthen knowledge and awareness, champion evidence-based policies, safeguard public-interest decision-making, and support coordinated action that reduces alcohol consumption, saves lives, and helps address health inequalities across Europe.
Health impacts
In the WHO European Region, alcohol is responsible for approximately 800,000 deaths each year — nearly one in every ten deaths. The region continues to have the highest level of alcohol consumption in the world, with significant consequences for population health.
The impact on young people is particularly alarming. One in four deaths among people aged 20–24 is attributable to alcohol, highlighting the role alcohol plays in injuries, violence, and other preventable causes of death among youth.
Alcohol is causally linked to more than 200 diseases and injury conditions, including cardiovascular disease, liver disease, neuropsychiatric disorders, and a wide range of injuries. It is also a major risk factor for cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence that it causes cancer in humans. Alcohol consumption is linked to at least seven types of cancer, and there is no safe level of alcohol consumption with respect to cancer risk.
Overall, alcohol is a leading contributor to premature mortality and disability, affecting people across the life course. Its harms begin even before birth through foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, continue through childhood and adolescence, and contribute to chronic disease, cancer, and alcohol dependence in adulthood and older age.
Burden on health systems
Alcohol-related conditions place a heavy and increasingly unsustainable burden on health services. Alcohol contributes significantly to emergency department visits, trauma care, hospital admissions, mental health service use, and the long-term management of chronic diseases. This sustained demand places pressure on already stretched health systems, diverting limited resources and undermining the capacity and resilience of health services across Europe.
Social harms
The impacts of alcohol extend well beyond health outcomes. Alcohol use is associated with higher risks of interpersonal violence, road traffic injuries, workplace incidents, family disruption, and adverse childhood experiences. These harms affect not only those who drink, but also families, communities, and bystanders, amplifying social costs and reinforcing cycles of vulnerability.
Economic costs
Alcohol-related harm also carries significant economic costs, which consistently exceed the revenues generated through alcohol taxation. Alcohol contributes to substantial expenses related to health-care systems, lost productivity, social welfare services, and justice systems. Much of this burden reflects preventable disease, injury, and social harm, making these costs largely avoidable through effective policy action
Gender-Based Violence
Alcohol is strongly associated with gender-based violence, particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence. Evidence shows that alcohol is frequently present in cases of domestic violence and sexual assault, placing women and girls at disproportionate risk of harm. Addressing alcohol consumption and availability is therefore an important component of broader strategies to prevent gender-based violence and protect victims.
Inequalities
Inequalities Alcohol-related harm is unevenly distributed across society. It disproportionately affects individuals and communities already facing social and economic disadvantage, contributing to health inequalities both within and between countries. Higher levels of harm occurring at similar or even lower levels of alcohol consumption illustrate how alcohol compounds existing structural inequities and places a greater burden on vulnerable populations. Evidence shows that effective policies to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms also help reduce health inequalities.
Myths vs. facts
Public and policy debates on alcohol are often shaped by misleading health claims and the selective use of evidence. However, the scientific evidence is clear: alcohol does not prolong life, and the risk of harm begins at low levels of consumption and increases as consumption rises.
Common narratives suggesting health benefits from moderate drinking have been challenged by more rigorous research, which shows that earlier findings were often influenced by methodological limitations and confounding factors. Ensuring that alcohol policies are grounded in independent, high-quality science — rather than commercial narratives — is essential for protecting public health and informing effective policy
The role of data and evidence
Robust epidemiological, clinical, and economic evidence demonstrates that comprehensive alcohol public health policies reduce consumption, prevent harm, and improve population health. Reliable data collection and monitoring are essential to guide policy action, assess the impact of interventions, and ensure accountability.
A central and well-established determinant of alcohol-related harm is per capita alcohol consumption. Reducing overall consumption at the population level is therefore a key strategy for decreasing alcohol-attributable disease, injury, and premature mortality.
A strong body of evidence shows that the most effective policy measures address the “3 As”: affordability (price and taxation), availability, and advertising and marketing. Policies targeting these areas have consistently been shown to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms across populations.
Importantly, these measures are cost-effective and relatively inexpensive to implement and enforce. They generate substantial net benefits, including reduced health-care costs, lower productivity losses, decreased social expenditures, and increased public revenues, making them among the most impactful public health interventions available.
