A new report indicates that excessive alcohol consumption is leading to a rise in injuries, violence, and early deaths throughout the region
Approximately 800,000 deaths in Europe each year are linked to alcohol use, representing one in every eleven fatalities, a World Health Organization report states.
In a recently released factsheet, the agency noted the continent possesses “the highest alcohol consumption levels globally,” and that drinking is a significant factor in premature death and injuries.
Citing 2019 data, the most recent available, the report indicated that close to 145,000 injury-related deaths in the region were caused by alcohol. The leading causes were self-harm, traffic injuries, and falls.
The organization also highlighted a strong connection between drinking and interpersonal violence, such as assaults and domestic abuse, marking it as a primary factor in violent injury fatalities across the region.
Young people are especially vulnerable, as alcohol impacts brain development and decision-making capabilities during adolescence and early adulthood. The WHO stated that alcohol consumption can harm memory and learning, while also raising the risk of long-term damage, such as alcohol use disorders and additional mental health issues.
For adolescents and young adults, alcohol continues to be a top risk factor for disability from injuries and premature death.
“Alcohol is a toxic substance that not only causes seven types of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases, but also impairs judgment and self-control, slows reaction times, reduces coordination and promotes risk-taking behavior,” said Carina Ferreira-Borges, Regional Adviser for Alcohol, Illicit Drugs and Prison Health at WHO/Europe. “This is why it is implicated in so many preventable injuries and injury deaths.”
The data reveals that Eastern European nations are responsible for roughly half of all injury deaths attributable to alcohol, in contrast to under 20% in the western and southern areas of the region.
In Russia, drinking patterns have changed over the last twenty years, with the proportion of people who abstain from alcohol nearly , recent surveys show. The data also indicates that , not vodka, is the most frequently consumed alcoholic beverage.