Holiday celebrations often lead to increased alcohol consumption, which raises the risk of injuries, including traffic accidents, falls, burns, poisoning, and interpersonal violence.
According to the new WHO European Region factsheet, ‘Alcohol-related injuries in the WHO European Region: Summary of Key Findings Based on 2019 Data,’ one in three deaths from injuries and violence in the region is caused by alcohol. No other psychoactive substance contributes as much to both intentional and unintentional injuries, ranging from traffic accidents to self-destructive behavior. Alcohol poses a particularly serious threat to young people.
According to the latest available WHO data, nearly 145,000 injury-related deaths in the region were alcohol-related in 2019. Self-harm, road traffic injuries, and falls accounted for the largest share of these deaths.
“Alcohol is a toxic substance that not only causes seven types of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases, but also impairs judgment and self-control, slows reaction time, reduces coordination, and encourages risky behavior. That is why it is so often linked to preventable injuries and deaths,” said Carina Ferreira-Borges, WHO regional adviser on alcohol, illicit drugs, and prison health.
Alcohol is one of the leading preventable causes of traumatic deaths worldwide and contributes significantly to overall mortality in the European Region, where alcohol consumption remains the highest in the world. Alcohol causes approximately 800,000 deaths annually—about one in every 11 deaths in the region.
Alcohol is closely linked to violence and aggression. In 2019, an estimated 26,500 deaths were caused by interpersonal violence, with more than 40% of these deaths attributable to alcohol. Alcohol also contributed to more than one third of all deaths from self-harm.
The WHO emphasized that reducing alcohol consumption—especially during the holidays—can significantly lower the risk of both intentional and unintentional injuries and help protect the health of individuals and communities.
