Alcohol consumption is a major cause of cancer in Europe, according to a new report from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer research agency. Experts say stronger government policies to reduce drinking could prevent thousands of cancer cases and deaths each year.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO’s cancer research arm, found that in 2020 alcohol was responsible for more than 111,000 new cancer cases in the European Union — the region with the world’s highest alcohol consumption. Globally, alcohol caused an estimated 741,000 cancer cases, with men accounting for nearly 70% of them.
Beyond the health burden, the economic impact is severe. WHO estimated that premature deaths from alcohol-related cancers cost €4.58 billion in 2018.
Dr. Gundo Weiler, head of prevention and health promotion at WHO Europe, said the region is paying “too high a price for alcohol in preventable cancers and broken families.” He added that while some view alcohol as part of Europe’s cultural heritage, “disease, death, and disability should not be normalised as part of European culture.”
How Alcohol Causes Cancer
Alcohol was first classified as carcinogenic by IARC in 1988. It increases the risk of at least seven cancers — including those of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, liver, colon, and female breast.
Researchers believe alcohol leads to cancer through several mechanisms, such as hormonal changes, damage to DNA caused by oxidative stress, and the effects of acetaldehyde, a toxic substance produced when the body processes ethanol. Changes to the gut microbiome may also play a role.
The risk of cancer decreases when alcohol consumption is reduced or stopped. Most alcohol-related cancers are linked to “risky” (two to six drinks per day) and “heavy” (more than six drinks per day) drinking. However, even “moderate” drinking — less than two drinks per day — caused more than 100,000 new cancer cases worldwide in 2020.
Strategies to Reduce Alcohol-Related Cancer
For the first time, IARC evaluated the potential benefits of alcohol-related cancer prevention. The analysis confirmed that population-wide alcohol control policies effectively reduce consumption and lower cancer risk.
The agency recommends measures such as increasing taxes, setting minimum prices, raising the legal drinking age, limiting the number and hours of alcohol retailers, banning alcohol marketing, and implementing state-controlled alcohol sales.
Evidence suggests these policies work. For instance, a 2021 study found that doubling alcohol excise taxes could have prevented 6% of new alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths in 2019 across WHO’s European region, which includes Europe and Central Asia.
Dr. Béatrice Lauby-Secretan, deputy head of IARC’s evidence synthesis and classification branch, emphasized the importance of public awareness. “Raising awareness about the cancer risks of alcohol and the fact that no level of drinking is safe is critical,” she said. “Everyone has a role to play in changing the current norms and values surrounding alcohol consumption.”
