In 2022, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, with support from the European Commission, initiated the Evidence into Action Alcohol Project (EVID-ACTION), which is contributing to delivering on the objectives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Among other things, the project is working to increase awareness among the public and policy-makers in the EU about the links between alcohol consumption and cancer risks, and to support evidence-based alcohol policy measures to reduce these risks. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours.
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- In addition, enforcing drink driving countermeasures and securing access to screening, brief interventions, and treatment are effective and ethically sound interventions.
- Most of the 145 countries that reported data did not have a specific budget line or data on governmental expenditures for treatment of substance use disorders.
- Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago – this is the highest risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation and tobacco.
- Globally, the WHO European Region has the highest alcohol consumption level and the highest proportion of drinkers in the population.
- Notably, 2 million of alcohol and 0.4 million of drug-attributable deaths were among men.
In 2019, the worldwide total consumption was equal to 5.5 litres of pure alcohol per person 15 years and older. Unrecorded consumption accounts for 21% of the worldwide total consumption. Globally, the WHO European Region has the highest alcohol consumption level and the highest proportion of drinkers in the population. Here, over 200 million people in the Region are at risk of developing alcohol-attributable cancer. A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that 2.6 million deaths per year were attributable to alcohol consumption, accounting for 4.7% of all deaths, and 0.6 million deaths to psychoactive drug use. Notably, 2 million of alcohol and 0.4 million of drug-attributable deaths were among men.
Overall, harmful use of alcohol is responsible for 4.7% of the global burden of disease. The death rates due to alcohol consumption per litre of alcohol consumed are highest in low-income countries and lowest in high-income countries. It doesn’t matter how much you drink – the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage. This regional workshop was planned to address the challenges of illicit tobacco trade and unrecorded alcohol consumption in the countries of the Region…. Harmful use of alcohol is accountable for 6,9 % and 2.0% of the global burden of disease for males and females respectively. Alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability among those aged 20 to 39 years, accounting for 13% of all deaths in this age group.
- An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help.
- In general, a healthy diet and physical activity have much greater health benefits than alcohol and have been more extensively studied.
- Despite this, the question of beneficial effects of alcohol has been a contentious issue in research for years.
- Ethanol (alcohol) causes cancer through biological mechanisms as the compound breaks down in the body, which means that any beverage containing alcohol, regardless of its price and quality, poses a risk of developing cancer.
Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal.
Impact on your health
However, latest available data indicate that half of all alcohol-attributable cancers in the WHO European Region are caused by “light” and “moderate” alcohol consumption – less than 1.5 litres of wine or less than 3.5 litres of beer or less than 450 millilitres of spirits per week. This drinking pattern is responsible for the majority of alcohol-attributable breast cancers in women, with the highest burden observed in countries of the European Union (EU). In the EU, cancer is the leading cause of death – with a steadily increasing incidence rate – and the majority of all alcohol-attributable deaths are due to different types of cancers. Both the volume of lifetime alcohol use and a combination of context, frequency of alcohol consumption and amount consumed per occasion increase the risk of the wide range of health and social harms.
Alcohol is a toxic and psychoactive substance with dependence producing properties. In many of today’s societies, alcoholic beverages are a routine part of the social landscape for many in the population. This is particularly true for those in social environments with high visibility and societal influence, nationally and internationally, where alcohol frequently accompanies socializing.
Be sure to ask your healthcare professional about what’s right for your health and safety. That usually means four or more drinks within two hours for women and five or more drinks within two hours for men. In the past, moderate drinking was thought to be linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease and possibly diabetes. After more analysis of the research, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Reducing youth exposure to alcogenic environments: What can be learnt from community-led approaches?
In the United States, people younger than age 21 are not legally able to drink alcohol. Heavy drinking also has been linked to intentional injuries, such as suicide, as well as accidental injury and death. Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. And the same goes for driving or if you need to be alert and able to react to changing situations.
Restricting alcohol availability in practice: evidence from selected countries
Total alcohol per capita consumption in the world population decreased slightly from 5.7 litres in 2010 to 5.5 litres in 2019. The highest levels of per capita consumption in 2019 were observed in the WHO European Region (9.2 litres) and the Region of Americas (7.5 litres). The SAFER initiative, launched globally in 2018, supports the implementation of high-impact strategies across the European Region. When it comes to alcohol, if you don’t drink, don’t start for health reasons. During pregnancy, drinking may cause the unborn baby to have brain damage and other problems. Despite this, the question of beneficial effects of alcohol has been a contentious issue in research for years.
Deciding about drinking
The risks increase largely in a dose-dependent manner with the volume of alcohol consumed and with frequency of drinking, and exponentially with the amount consumed on a single occasion. Surrogate and illegally produced alcohols can bring an extra health risk from toxic contaminants. The EU is the heaviest-drinking area globally, with 7 of the 10 countries with the highest per-capita alcohol consumption located within the EU. Despite progress in reducing alcohol consumption and related harms, the Region continues to face significant challenges, including high rates of alcohol-related deaths, particularly from cancer. The report highlights the urgent need to accelerate actions globally towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.5 by 2030 by reducing alcohol and drug consumption and improving access to quality treatment for substance use disorders.
In general, a healthy diet and physical activity have much greater health benefits than alcohol and have been more extensively studied. For example, any amount of drinking increases the risk of breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Many people drink alcohol as a personal preference, during social activities, or as a part of cultural and religious practices. Knowing your personal risk based on your habits can help you make the best decision for you.
Although it is well established that alcohol can cause cancer, this fact is still alcohol review and dependency not widely known to the public in most countries. The Global Information System on Alcohol and Health (GISAH) is an essential tool for assessing and monitoring the health situation and trends related to alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm, and policy responses in countries. The harmful use of alcohol results in the death of 2.6 million people annually. There are 230 different types of diseases where alcohol has a significant role. It also causes harm to the well-being and health of people around the drinker.
Alcohol as an intoxicant affects a wide range of structures and processes in the central nervous system and increases the risk for intentional and unintentional injuries and adverse social consequences. Alcohol has considerable toxic effects on the digestive and cardiovascular systems. Alcoholic beverages are classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and increase the risk of several cancer types.
