During the holiday season, celebrations often involve increased alcohol consumption, which can raise the risk of injuries – including road injuries, falls, burns, poisonings and interpersonal violence.
Of every 3 deaths from injury and violence in the WHO European Region, 1 is caused by alcohol, shows the new WHO/Europe factsheet “Alcohol-attributable injuries in the WHO European Region: overview of key findings based on 2019 data”. No other psychoactive substance contributes so heavily to unintentional and intentional injuries alike, from road traffic deaths to self-harm. Alcohol presents a particularly dangerous threat to young people.
In 2019, the latest available WHO data, almost 145 000 injury deaths in the Region were attributable to alcohol. The largest categories of injuries due to alcohol were self-harm, road injuries and falls.
“Alcohol is a toxic substance that not only causes 7 types of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), but also impairs judgment and self-control, slows reaction times, reduces coordination and promotes risk-taking behaviour,” explained Carina Ferreira-Borges, Regional Adviser for Alcohol, Illicit Drugs and Prison Health at WHO/Europe. “This is why we see it implicated in so many preventable injuries and injury deaths.”
Alcohol is a major preventable cause of injury worldwide and contributes substantially to mortality in the Region, which has the highest alcohol consumption levels globally. Alcohol use in the Region is estimated to cause around 800 000 deaths every year – 1 in every 11 deaths in the Region.
Alcohol and violence: a deadly connection
Alcohol is one of the strongest and most consistent contributors to violence and aggression. In 2019 around 26 500 deaths in the Region were due to interpersonal violence, and over 40% of these deaths were alcohol-attributable. Alcohol also contributed to more than one third of all self-harm deaths.
Alcohol is a powerful catalyst for violence. Global and European data show that alcohol not only harms the individuals who drink it, but also disproportionately impacts those who are near them – especially women and children. Alcohol is a major risk factor for intimate partner violence, increasing both its occurrence and severity, putting families and communities in danger.
Yet official data capture only a fraction of the true burden, especially for gender-based and other forms of violence that are stigmatized and under-reported.
Melanie Hyde, Technical Officer for Gender, Equity and Human Rights at WHO/Europe, highlighted, “Evidence shows that men’s harmful use of alcohol is a risk factor in the perpetration of intimate partner violence. So, it is a risk factor that can be modified in terms of prevention. We also know that women experiencing intimate partner violence are twice as likely to develop alcohol use disorders, so we need all health workers to understand the range of clinical conditions associated with violence and how to respond in a survivor-centred, gender-responsive way.”
This resonates with WHO/Europe’s Special initiative on Violence against Women and Girls, launched to ensure that the health sector responds to the physical and mental health needs of women and girls experiencing violence.
A serious threat to young people
For adolescents and young adults, alcohol poses a particularly serious threat. It is a leading risk factor for disability and premature death due to injuries among young people in the Region.
“Although they may drink less frequently than older adults, young people are more vulnerable to heavy episodic drinking – consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short time,” said Jonathon Passmore, WHO/Europe’s Regional Adviser for Road Safety and Injury Prevention. “This pattern dramatically increases the likelihood of unintentional injuries such as road injuries, drowning and falls, as well as violence and self-harm.”
In young people, alcohol can affect brain development and decision-making, leading to problems with memory and learning and heightening the risk of long-term harm, including alcohol use disorders and other mental health problems.
Inequalities among countries
Despite progress over the past 2 decades, the Region continues to show deep subregional inequalities in alcohol-related injuries. Age-standardized death rates are highest in eastern European countries.
A subregional divide is also evident in the share of injury deaths caused by alcohol: in many Eastern European countries, over 50% of all injury deaths are linked to alcohol, compared with less than 20% in many western and southern European countries. These disparities reflect differences in drinking patterns, heavy episodic drinking prevalence and the strength of alcohol control policies – including regulation, enforcement and access to treatment.
Policies that work – what can be done to tackle alcohol harms
Today, the continued health harms of alcohol use and inequalities across the Region demand sustained, targeted action. WHO recommends the following cost-effective and impactful measures that give proven results:
- raising taxes and prices on alcoholic beverages;
- restricting availability through limits on sale hours, days and locations;
- banning or limiting marketing, particularly digital and social media advertising;
- strengthening drink–driving laws and enforcement; and
- integrating screening and brief interventions in primary care, emergency care and trauma settings to identify harmful drinking early.
These actions could prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths each year, significantly reduce the burden of alcohol-related injuries, and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the newly adopted second WHO European Programme of Work 2026–2030.
As the holiday season begins, remember that taking steps such as drinking less, knowing when to stop and avoiding driving after drinking can significantly reduce both intentional and unintentional injuries. Celebrating safely helps us to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities, ensuring that everyone enjoys a healthy and happy holiday season.