According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the harmful use of alcohol stands as a primary risk factor affecting the global population’s health. In 2016, 5.5% of all deaths in the 30 countries of the European Union (EU) were attributed to alcohol. In the past year, 62.3% of adults in the WHO European Region consumed alcoholic beverages at least once, contributing to nearly one million deaths annually, averaging around 2,500 deaths per day.
The present paper describes the state of the art of alcohol consumption and related consequences in Europe and highlights the gaps in prevention that need to be addressed by relevant stakeholders and policymakers to achieve the WHO Sustainable Development Goal 3.5.2: to reach by 2025 the substantial reduction of 10% of harmful alcohol consumers and per capita alcohol consumption.
Effective healthcare and planning should consider a range of policy options aligned with public health interests, guided by clear objectives and the best available evidence. The focus should be on activities related to Non-Communicable Disease (NCD), Best Buys targeting chronic disease risk factors. Six priority areas are identified: alcohol pricing, availability, marketing, health information (with emphasis on alcohol labeling), health services response, and community action. These areas intersect and necessitate a comprehensive approach to achieve the greatest impact.
