Alcohol has been part of social and cultural life across Europe for generations, from celebrations and traditions to everyday social occasions. At the same time, its effects on health are well established. Alcohol is linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, injuries, mental health harms and wider impacts on families and communities.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/interviews/less-alcohol-lower-risk-in-conversation-with-rafn-m-jonsson/
European Commission (EU) - 5% of Europeans
consumed alcohol daily in 2025
In 2025, 4.8% of people aged 16 or over in the EU consumed alcohol every
day. The share of people who consumed alcohol every week was 19.2%, and 21.8%
for those consuming every month.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260928-1
BBC Science Focus Magazine - How to
permanently change your relationship with alcohol in 30 days
Sobriety is becoming cool. Gen Z, in particular, is less likely to drink
than generations before them. Drinking rates among US adults under the age of
34 have fallen by 10 percentage points over the last 20 years, from 72 to 62
per cent, according to Gallup polling.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/wellbeing/how-to-permanently-change-your-relationship-with-alcohol-in-30-days-2
VRT (Belgium) - More and more Flemings are
drinking alcohol rarely or never
More and more Flemings – around 44 per cent of the adult population -rarely
or never drink alcohol. Four years ago, the figure was 36 per cent. The figure
comes from a survey of 2,292 Flemings commissioned by the Stand Up to Cancer
charity Kom op tegen Kanker.
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2026/10/01/more-and-more-flemings-are-drinking-alcohol-rarely-or-never/
The Conversation (Denmark/UK) - How do
Denmark and the UK compare when it comes to alcohol and drinking habits?
For decades, Denmark and the UK have been known as countries where alcohol
plays a big role in people’s social lives. In this way, the two countries make
an interesting comparison when it comes to alcohol consumption because they
both have a strong drinking culture.
https://theconversation.com/how-do-denmark-and-the-uk-compare-when-it-comes-to-alcohol-and-drinking-habits-282400
Wales 247 (Wales) - Major alcohol pricing
change comes into force across Wales today
From today (Thursday 1 October) the minimum price of a unit of alcohol will
increase in Wales from 50p to 65p in a move which is expected to save hundreds
of lives.
https://www.wales247.co.uk/major-alcohol-pricing-change-comes-into-force-across-wales-today
CBC (Canada) - Alcohol is Canada’s biggest
drug problem. So why aren’t people getting help?
Jordan Kawchuk didn’t imagine having a roommate at the age of 54, let alone
more than a dozen of them. But for six months at the start of 2026, his home
was the Vancouver Island Therapeutic Community (VITC), a treatment centre for
men in Nanaimo, B.C.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/alcohol-use-disorder-9.7357272
BusinessTech (South Africa) - Ramaphosa
announces 90-day plan to fix streetlights, cut alcohol, and increase policing
as violence rocks South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a four-point plan in response to
the spate of killings and violence against women in the country. It includes a
‘safety audit’ in municipalities and a clampdown on liquor outlets and
consumption.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/877524/ramaphosa-announces-90-day-plan-to-fix-streetlights-cut-alcohol-and-increase-policing-as-violence-rocks-south-africa/
WHO (Latvia) - New alcohol policy measures
in Latvia produce rapid public health gains
What happens when alcohol becomes a little less easy to buy and consume?
Some relatively simple changes to alcohol legislation in Latvia have made a
rapid impact, an early WHO study shows.
https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/28-09-2026-new-alcohol-policy-measures-in-latvia-produce-rapid-public-health-gains
Scripps News - Even light drinking may harm
brain health, new research suggests
New research suggests even light alcohol consumption could negatively
affect brain health, challenging the long-held belief that a glass of wine a
day may keep dementia away.
https://www.scrippsnews.com/health/even-light-drinking-may-harm-brain-health-new-research-suggests
IAS Blog - Beyond opinion polls: a
citizens’ jury’s verdict on alcohol policy
People want to live in thriving communities, where young people can grow up
free from pervasive marketing, and policy decisions prioritise our health and
wellbeing.
https://www.ias.org.uk/2026/09/29/beyond-opinion-polls-a-citizens-jurys-verdict-on-alcohol-policy/
Alcohol Focus Scotland - In Focus: The
Monthly AFS CEO Blog - Why we need an Alcohol Action Day in Scotland
“Delighted”. It’s a word I challenge myself never to use. If you regularly
share news on social media, as I do, then you’ll know it’s the adjective we all
tend to reach for – but it can’t always be true. If you took my LinkedIn feed
literally, you’d believe everyone is wildly thrilled about absolutely
everything, all the time.
https://www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/news/news/why-we-need-an-alcohol-action-day-in-scotland-/
Zeroproof.one (Belgium) - Belgium's Alcohol
Ad Warning Moves From Abuse to Alcohol Itself, and Alcohol-Free Sits Outside It
One word leaves the sentence and the whole argument changes. A reading of
the notified Belgian decree, the instrument that carries it, and the 0.5
percent line that decides which shelf it touches.
https://zeroproof.one/blog/belgium-alcohol-advertising-warning-reform-2026/
AACR - Beyond Hangovers: Binge Drinking and
the Risk of Early-onset Breast and Colorectal Cancers
Who binge drinks more often: young men or women? Twenty-five years ago, the
answer was unquestionably young men—with rates twice as high as young women.
But today, rates among young women have caught up to and even slightly
surpassed those of young men.
https://www.aacr.org/blog/2026/09/28/beyond-hangovers-binge-drinking-and-the-risk-of-early-onset-breast-and-colorectal-cancers/
Alcohol Focus Scotland - Alcohol
advertising puts people at risk of relapse say members of recovery community -
New Report
People with lived experience of alcohol harm have called for a new approach
to alcohol advertising and marketing, saying that its ubiquity acts as a
potential trigger that puts them at risk of relapse.
https://www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/news/news/alcohol-advertising-puts-people-at-risk-of-relapse-say-members-of-recovery-community---new/
NordAN (Lithuania) - NordAN submits TRIS
contribution on Lithuania’s proposed age restriction for alcohol-branded NoLo
drinks
NordAN has submitted a contribution to the European Commission’s Technical
Regulation Information System (TRIS) concerning Lithuania’s proposed
restrictions on the sale of certain non-alcoholic drinks to minors.
https://www.nordicalcohol.org/post/nordan-submits-tris-contribution-on-lithuania-s-proposed-age-restriction-for-alcohol-branded-nolo-dr
European Heart Network (EU) - World Heart
Day is no platform for alcohol industry influence
On 29 September, World Heart Day, MEP Dario Nardella (S&D) will host an
event in the European Parliament on the role of wine in health policy debates,
organised by the European Committee of Wine Companies (CEEV). European public
health organisations consider it wholly inappropriate that an MEP would give
the alcohol industry a platform in a health policy debate, particularly on a
day dedicated to raising awareness of cardiovascular disease and its
prevention.
https://ehnheart.org/news-events/news/press-releases/world-heart-day-is-no-platform-for-alcohol-industry-influence/
NordAN (Finland) - Finnish study links
alcohol use to increased prostate cancer risk
A new study from the Finnish Cancer Registry suggests that alcohol
consumption may be associated with an increased risk of developing prostate
cancer.
https://www.nordicalcohol.org/post/finnish-study-links-alcohol-use-to-increased-prostate-cancer-risk
NordAN (Denmark) - Most Danes want others
to speak up if they are concerned about their drinking
A new Danish survey shows that concern about other people’s drinking is
common, but many people still find it difficult to speak openly about alcohol
problems.
https://www.nordicalcohol.org/post/most-danes-want-others-to-speak-up-if-they-are-concerned-about-their-drinking
