Europe: Working together to promote a better and healthier drinking culture in Europe

Euronews
By Herv Dumesny, Director General ad interim of spiritsEUROPE
June 13, 2025

Across the EU, discussions are taking place in various fora as to how best to address harmful alcohol consumption as part of broader efforts to improve public health and promote prevention measures.

However, to be effective, it is important to note a crucial distinction: the issue is not alcohol consumption in general, but harmful alcohol consumption – a serious concern in every Member State that demands targeted, evidence-based responses. Any discussions on this topic should be grounded in real-world data and sound scientific evidence to lead to effective strategies for reducing alcohol-related harm.

Alcohol harm is not a straightforward issue. Unfortunately, this debate is too often driven by ideology rather than grounded in science. Some anti-alcohol advocacy groups champion one-size-fits-all solutions (so-called “Best -Buys”), which fail to take account of the different drinking patterns across Europe.  Some push for such blanket style policies to cut the overall per capita consumption of alcohol, but ignore the inconvenient fact that countries with highly restrictive policies have not consistently outperformed those with more liberal approaches. In fact, similar reductions in harm have been observed across both models.

What matters most is not just how much people drink, but how they drink. Binge drinking, for instance, carries far greater risks than moderate consumption spread over time-even if the total volume is the same.

What is the bigger picture of alcohol-related harm in Europe today?

Over the past decade, key public health indicators across Europe have demonstrated a marked improvement in alcohol-related outcomes, underscoring the effectiveness of targeted policy measures and education initiatives.

According to WHO data, harm indicators such as alcohol-related road traffic injuries decreased by 37% between 2010 and 2020, suggesting that stricter enforcement of drink-driving laws and sustained awareness campaigns are contributing to improved road safety outcomes. Overall alcohol mortality fell by one fifth across the same decade. Last but not least, we have seen a drop in underage drinking, which has declined by 18% from 2011 to 2019. This reduction is not only due to the general trend of young people drinking less, but also points to the efficacy of prevention strategies aimed at youths including school-based education, parental engagement, as well as responsible marketing practices.

Self- and co-regulation, along with industry codes and voluntary initiatives, have made an undeniable contribution to shaping safer drinking environments.  Collectively, these trends highlight the success and real-world impact of coordinated, evidence-based approaches to reducing alcohol-related harm across the EU.

This progress has occurred in the EU without blanket restrictions, using evidence-led, partnership-based approaches, rather than heavy handed and punitive regulation. While restrictive policies like higher taxes, advertising bans, and minimum unit pricing are often proposed to curb alcohol-related harm, the evidence supporting their effectiveness is mixed.

The declining trends in alcohol-related mortality and injuries across the EU are testament to the effectiveness of the whole-of-society-efforts: producers, distributors, governments, as well as civil society. These tried-and-tested approaches rest on the principle of responsible drinking and informed decision-making.

For decades, the spirits sector has implemented strict codes of practice as to how and when we market our products; we participate in, and help fund, multiple campaigns combating drink-drive, underage drinking. We have invested significantly in useful, practical websites (including the EU umbrella platform responsibledrinking.eu and promotional campaigns to educate consumers about the explicit dangers of abusing alcohol and to promote low-risk drinking guidelines.  Through hundreds of initiatives undertaken by the sector, we have reached over 98 million individuals by promoting responsible drinking. These programmes reflect the spirits sector’s ongoing dedication to reducing harmful drinking and promoting moderation.

When reflecting on practical actions that could be taken at the EU level to further reduce harmful alcohol consumption, we suggest decision-makers re-launch a structured and regular dialogue platform among all relevant stakeholders. This platform should focus on discussing, and jointly implementing, effective approaches to promote responsible drinking and discourage excessive consumption.

We strongly believe that the solution lies in collaboration and partnership: enforcement authorities, the health community, economic operators, parents, and educators all have a vital role to play.

We all have a stake. We must all play our part.