Alcohol consumption is a major cause of cancer in Europe, according to a new report from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Experts warn that stronger government action to reduce drinking could prevent thousands of cancer cases and deaths each year.
In the European Union—the region with the highest alcohol consumption globally—alcohol was responsible for more than 111,000 new cancer cases in 2020, the report found. Worldwide, alcohol contributed to an estimated 741,000 new cases, with men accounting for nearly 70% of them.
The financial impact is also severe: premature deaths from alcohol-related cancers cost Europe €4.58 billion in 2018, according to WHO estimates.
“The WHO European Region, and especially countries of the EU, are paying too high a price for alcohol in preventable cancers and broken families, as well as costing billions to taxpayers,” said Dr. Gundo Weiler, head of prevention and health promotion at WHO Europe. “Some call alcohol a ‘cultural heritage’, but disease, death, and disability should not be normalized as part of European culture.”
Alcohol and Cancer Risk
Alcohol was first classified as a carcinogen by IARC in 1988. It is known to increase the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including those of the mouth, throat, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, and female breast.
Researchers have identified several biological mechanisms behind this link, including hormonal changes, DNA damage caused by oxidative stress and acetaldehyde (a byproduct of alcohol metabolism), and alterations in the gut microbiome.
Reducing or quitting alcohol consumption can significantly lower cancer risk. Most alcohol-attributable cancers are associated with “risky” drinking (two to six drinks per day) or “heavy” drinking (more than six drinks per day). However, even “moderate” drinking—fewer than two drinks per day—was linked to over 100,000 new cancer cases globally in 2020.
Strategies for Prevention
For the first time, IARC’s new analysis evaluated the potential impact of alcohol-related cancer prevention measures. It confirmed that population-wide alcohol control policies reduce consumption and, consequently, cancer risk.
The agency recommended several strategies, including higher alcohol taxes, minimum pricing, raising the legal drinking age, limiting the number of alcohol retailers, restricting sales hours, banning alcohol advertising, and implementing government-controlled sales systems.
Evidence shows these measures are effective. One 2021 study estimated that doubling alcohol excise taxes could have prevented 6% of new alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths in the WHO European Region in 2019.
“Raising awareness about the cancer risks of alcohol and the fact that no level of drinking is safe is critical,” said Dr. Béatrice Lauby-Secretan, deputy head of IARC’s Evidence Synthesis and Classification Branch. “Everyone has a role to play in changing the current norms and values surrounding alcohol consumption.”
