European alcohol consumption highest globally, WHO report reveals

Europeans still drink the most alcohol in the world, according to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday. The average European consumes 9 litres of pure alcohol per year.

"Despite the health risks, Europeans consume an average of 9.2 litres of pure alcohol a year - making them the world’s biggest drinkers," reports UN News based on a WHO investigation.

The report is based on the latest data from 2019. According to the WHO, in the European Union countries, "there have been no changes in alcohol consumption per capita in the European Union since 2010." North and South America take second place in terms of alcohol consumption. According to the WHO report from June this year, residents of these continents consume an average of about 8 litres of alcohol annually.

In Europe, men drink 15 litres of alcohol annually, while women consume 4 litres. On the Old Continent, 11% of adults suffer from alcohol abuse problems, and 5.9% are addicted, according to the report.

"1 in every 10 deaths in the WHO European Region is due to alcohol consumption," making it one of the most prominent cause of death in Europe, states the WHO report, estimating it to be about 800,000 deaths annually.

Higher taxes on alcohol. WHO appeals

The organisation calls on European governments, stating, "An increase in excise taxes on alcoholic beverages is a proven measure to reduce harmful use of alcohol, and it provides governments revenue to offset the economic costs of harmful use of alcohol."

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the fact that alcohol kills 2.6 million people annually worldwide "is unacceptably high."

Alcoholic beverages cause diseases such as cancer, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.