May 22, 2026, marks a disappointing day for those attempting to implement evidence-based alcohol public health policy. This is the date when Ireland's new alcohol labelling regulations, part of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, were due to be implemented.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2826%2900914-1/fulltext
EMJ (UK) - Alcohol
deaths drop as treatment landscape expands
Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK are declining for the first time since
2018, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) report has revealed. There
were 9,809 alcohol-specific deaths registered in 2024 – a decrease from 10,473
in 2023 and the lowest figure since 2021.
https://www.emjreviews.com/emj-gold/news/alcohol-deaths-drop-as-treatment-landscape-expands/
CBC (Canada) - Report
recommends warning labels on booze as B.C. alcohol use above national levels
Alcohol use in British Columbia has reached a 20-year low after spiking
during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new report from the provincial health
officer says consumption is still above both national and recommended levels.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-alcohol-use-report-9.7214631
www.apd.cat (Spain) - Alcohol accounts for 60%
of first visits for addiction in L'Hospitalet despite its normalization
Alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine account for the highest demand for
therapeutic attention at the Centre d'Atenció i Seguiment a les
Drogodependències of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. During 2025, the service
attended to more than 1,500 people, and in more than 200 cases, alcohol
appeared as the primary substance of consumption.
https://www.apd.cat/en/barcelona/hospitalet-llobregat/alcohol-accounts-for-60-of-first-visits-for-addiction-in-l-hospitalet-despite-its-normalization_13706_102.html
Euronews.com (Poland)
- Night-time alcohol ban in Warsaw: will the capital be safer?
From 1 June, a ban on night-time alcohol sales will apply across Warsaw.
The measure, part of the Safe Night programme, aims to boost safety and curb
late-night public disorder.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/25/night-time-alcohol-ban-in-warsaw-will-the-capital-be-safer
UVic News (Canada) - New
report by BC health officer calls for stronger public-health approach to
alcohol
The Office of the Provincial Health Officer on Wednesday released Living
Well, Drinking Less: Reducing Alcohol Harms in BC, a report documenting
alcohol’s impact on British Columbians that drew on research expertise and data
from the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Canadian Institute for Substance Use
Research (CISUR).
https://news.uvic.ca/media-release/bc-health-officer-calls-for-stronger-public-health-approach-to-alcohol/
EMJ - EASL 2026:
Alcohol Policy Efforts Sharpens Focus on Liver Disease Harm
ALCOHOL policy, liver disease prevention and alcohol risk communication
were central themes during a session at European Association for the Study of
the Liver (EASL) 2026. The session brought together clinicians, policymakers
and public health advocates to examine efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm
across Europe.
https://www.emjreviews.com/hepatology/news/alcohol-policy-efforts-sharpens-focus-on-liver-disease-harm/
Medical Xpress
(Finland) - Kids exposed to prenatal alcohol lack diagnosis and aid, Finnish
study finds
The Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
estimates that between 600 and 3,000 children are born in Finland each year
with permanent developmental damage caused by maternal alcohol consumption
during pregnancy. Many children remain without a diagnosis and the support they
need.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-kids-exposed-prenatal-alcohol-lack.html
Medical Xpress - Prenatal
alcohol exposure linked to 45% higher hazardous drinking risk at 16
Teens who were exposed to alcohol in utero are more likely than their peers
to engage in risky behaviors—most notably, hazardous drinking and underage sex,
a combination that could perpetuate the intergenerational transmission of
prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-prenatal-alcohol-exposure-linked-higher.html
themercury.co.za
(South Africa) - 'The more alcohol we consume, the more violence we will
suffer': Cachalia demands action on alcohol-related crime
Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia has called for tougher
action against alcohol abuse and its contribution to the wave of crime that has
swept through the country in recent years.
https://themercury.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-05-22-the-more-alcohol-we-consume-the-more-violence-we-will-suffer-cachalia-demands-action-on-alcohol-related-crime/
O´Neill Institute
(USA) - Rethinking Alcohol: Societal Costs, Health Risks, and Recovery
More than 178,000 deaths each year are linked to alcohol use in the United
States. Excessive alcohol use contributes not only to individual health
conditions, but also to substantial social and economic costs affecting health
care systems, workplaces, families, and communities.
https://oneill.law.georgetown.edu/rethinking-alcohol-societal-costs-health-risks-and-recovery/
PopNAD (Finland) - Public
opinion in transition: tightening attitudes and the future of Finnish alcohol
policy
Alcohol policy in Finland has long been shaped by a balancing act between
public health concerns and pressures for market liberalization. Over the past
decades, incremental reforms have increased alcohol availability, often
justified by changing consumer preferences and broader ideological shifts
toward deregulation.
https://nordicwelfare.org/popnad/en/artiklar/public-opinion-in-transition-tightening-attitudes-and-the-future-of-finnish-alcohol-policy/
Newcastle University -
Healthy lifestyle shown to lower risk of death after cancer diagnosis
New evidence shows that sticking to five lifestyle recommendations improves
survival after a later cancer diagnosis.
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2026/05/healthylifestylelowersriskofcancerdeath/
Alcohol and Cancer - Ohio
State study targets alcohol marketing that downplays breast cancer risk
Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, is a peak holiday for
alcohol consumption, with nearly half of celebrants reporting they plan to buy
alcoholic beverages. Public health experts are raising concern that only about
28% of people are aware that regular alcohol consumption increases risk for at
least seven forms of cancer.
https://www.alcoholandcancer.eu/post/ohio-state-study-targets-alcohol-marketing-that-downplays-breast-cancer-risk
NordAN (Finland) - Minors
find it easy to obtain alcohol, one third get alcohol through a sibling or
guardian
Obtaining alcohol as a minor is seen as very easy, according to the new
Youth culture and substances 2026 survey by the Finnish Association for
Substance Abuse Prevention, EHYT ry.
https://www.nordicalcohol.org/post/minors-find-it-easy-to-obtain-alcohol-one-third-get-alcohol-through-a-sibling-or-guardian
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