WHO calls on European governments for tough policies to reduce alcohol consumption, responsible for tens of thousands of cancer deaths and significant economic losses.

The European regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged European governments on Tuesday to adopt strict measures to reduce alcohol consumption, considering its impact on public health. Alcohol is responsible for approximately 111,300 new cancer cases annually in the European Union, of which 70% affect men, and for 93,000 deaths. The WHO highlighted effective measures such as increasing taxes, limiting sales, banning advertising, and establishing state monopolies, which can help reduce consumption. WHO Europe Director Gundo Weiler emphasized the high costs to society, including 4.6 billion euros for premature deaths caused by alcohol-related cancer, and stressed that the normalization of alcohol consumption as part of European culture should not be accepted.