Wine on the shelves

The World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe launched a campaign on Wednesday calling on Europeans and policymakers to rethink the place of alcohol in society in order to address the high mortality and health problems caused by alcohol. Currently, 8.8% of deaths within the WHO European Region are caused by alcohol, equivalent to 1 in 11 cases.

Alcohol has been linked to more than 200 diseases, including at least seven cancers in particular, such as breast and colon cancer. However, despite the serious health threat posed by alcohol, little is known to the European public about its association with cancer.

According to a recent WHO study, only 21% of women in 14 European countries are aware that alcohol consumption may lead to breast cancer risk, even when the risk is consumed in small amounts.

"Redefining Alcohol"

To address this perception gap, the WHO Regional Office for Europe has launched a regional campaign called "Redefining Alcohol", which aims to promote public discussion about the health risks of alcohol by sharing the latest research findings, and to call on Europeans to re-examine how individuals and societies think about alcohol and how it is used.

Galea, Strategic Advisor to WHO's Regional Director for Europe and Director of Special Operations on Noncommunicable Diseases and Innovation, said: "Alcohol not only affects physical health, but also exacerbates a range of social problems. Alcohol is one of the main drivers of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, road traffic accidents, etc., which not only harms the drinkers themselves, but also has a wide impact on their families and communities. ”

Galea stressed the need for the public to have access to adequate scientific information to make informed health decisions. Therefore, the Redefining Alcohol campaign will encourage individuals to re-examine their drinking habits by providing evidence-based scientific information, and push policymakers and health institutions to promote a change in attitudes towards alcohol and strengthen regulation.

Drive policy change for a healthier society

The Redefine Alcohol campaign aims to contribute to a healthier and safer Europe by working with policymakers, communities and health advocates to create a social environment that helps people reduce their alcohol consumption.

The campaign is also part of the WHO-EU joint Evidence in Action: Alcohol Harm Reduction Project, which aims to translate scientific research into actionable policies to reduce alcohol-related harm in 30 European countries and contribute to the goals of the European Plan to Fight Cancer.