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The WHO European Region has the heaviest alcohol consumption of all regions in the world. Alcohol use causes a significant reduction in life expectancy in Europe, especially among men. Here, every hour, alcohol causes over 80 deaths, adding up to approximately 800.000 lives lost each year.
Alcohol is also a leading risk factor for disability, a major cause of more than 200 chronic diseases, and a factor in many injuries and mental health disorders. In addition to this unsustainable toll on human health, alcohol is a major factor in crime and other social harms.
A new coalition of health organisations and experts has formed to advocate for the reduction of alcohol related illnesses, injuries and deaths. Launched today at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2025 in Amsterdam, Kingdom of the Netherlands, the European Health Alliance on Alcohol unites European organisations of health professionals, including EFAD, to amplify the medical community’s voice in policy-making. The Alliance aims to reduce alcohol’s impact on health, raise public awareness, and advocate for the implementation of proven, effective policies that save lives.
A focus on the hidden harms of alcohol
“Alcohol is linked to over 200 health conditions – from liver cirrhosis to cancer and cardiovascular diseases – and still, its harms are frequently overlooked,” explains EASL Secretary General Aleksander Krag. “For example, alcohol is by far the most common cause of death from liver disease in Europe and causes more than 70.000 cancer deaths every year in Europe. This Alliance will aim to ensure people
have the facts, and the right to make informed choices.”
Alba Gil, Policy Officer at the Association of European Cancer Leagues, adds, “The notion that only heavy drinkers are at risk of alcohol-related cancers is a dangerous myth. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption, yet too few people are aware of this. Many women, for example, are unaware that
alcohol is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer.”
The Alliance will highlight the often-overlooked connections between alcohol and other health harms, such as heart disease, suicide and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, as well as its harmful effects on sleep and mental health.
A commitment to protecting children and young people from alcohol harms
At the core of the Alliance’s mission is a call to protect children and adolescents from the harms of alcohol. They constitute a uniquely vulnerable group, facing risks that start with in utero exposure and continue through neglect, violence associated with parental alcohol use, and early patterns of binge
drinking during childhood and adolescence.
Regrettably, children and young people continue to be targeted through aggressive marketing tactics that benefit from insufficient regulations.
“We must not let another generation of children be harmed by alcohol,” says Ann de Guchtenaere, Secretary General of the European Academy of Paediatrics. “Protecting children from alcohol means avoiding all alcohol consumption in pregnancy, protecting children from parental heavy drinking,
reducing overall consumption, tightening marketing laws and changing social norms.” Alcohol is responsible for 1 in 4 deaths among young people aged 19–24 in the Region. The Alliance will advocate for stronger protections, including restrictions on alcohol advertising, minimum unit pricing, and
reduced affordability and availability.
Evidence-based solutions, real-world results
As a platform for joint advocacy, the Alliance will seek to strengthen the influence of health-care professionals on alcohol policy at local, national, and European levels. Evidence-based policies to reduce alcohol harm are well recognised but poorly implemented. They include pricing and taxation increases, advertising and marketing restrictions, and measures to reduce availability.
Countries such as Lithuania have demonstrated the power and effectiveness of strong alcohol policy:
Between 2016 and 2019, the introduction of comprehensive alcohol policies dramatically reduced alcohol consumption, saving thousands of lives and lowering the incidence of many illnesses.
“We know what policies are effective to reduce alcohol harms,” says Gauden Galea, Strategic Adviser to the Regional Director on WHO/Europe’s Special Initiative on Noncommunicable Diseases and Innovation. “A recent WHO study demonstrated that the quick-buy policies, including increased alcohol
taxation and reduced alcohol marketing – result in benefits in less than 1 year, so they can be implemented effectively within 1 political term.”
He adds, “The Alliance can amplify these solutions and support their implementation across the Region.”
A role for every health worker
Doctors, nurses and allied health-care professionals are often the first to see the damage that alcohol causes. The Alliance will champion the role of health-care professionals in screening for high-risk alcohol use and offering brief interventions. Talking about alcohol should become a routine part of patient care.
“As a general practitioner, I see the harms that alcohol causes to individuals, families and communities daily,” says Margarida Santos from Portugal. “As health professionals, we must start a conversation and break down harmful myths about alcohol. But addressing alcohol harms takes more than a medical intervention – it requires effective policy-making and a societal shift.”
A stronger voice, a shared responsibility
The formation of the Alliance sends a clear message that the responsibility for alcohol harm cannot rest on individuals – it must be dealt with using effective, evidence-based policies.
Frank Murray, Public Health and Advocacy Committee Member at EASL, shares, “Alcohol-related harm is not inevitable, and it’s not a personal failing – it’s the result of a widespread failure of countries to implement proven, evidence-based policies to reduce alcohol harms, and the harmful and unacceptable impact of strong alcohol industry interference in public health policy.”
He emphasises, “The alcohol industry should stay in their lane and have no role in the formation of public health policies.”
Acting together, the Alliance will influence policy-makers to implement evidence-based policies to reduce alcohol harms. This represents a new opportunity to make clinical voices heard in a coordinated manner.