Alcohol consumption is a major contributor to cancer across 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 measures to limit drinking could prevent thousands of cancer cases and deaths annually.
In the European Union—the region with the highest alcohol consumption worldwide—alcohol was responsible for more than 111,000 new cancer cases in 2020. Globally, the number reached about 741,000, with men accounting for nearly 70% of these cases.
The financial impact is also severe. WHO estimates that premature deaths from alcohol-related cancers cost Europe €4.58 billion in 2018.
“The WHO European Region, and especially EU countries, 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’s Europe office. “Some call alcohol a ‘cultural heritage,’ but disease, death, and disability should not be normalised as part of European culture.”
Alcohol and Cancer Risk
IARC classified alcohol as a carcinogen in 1988. It increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including those of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colorectum, and female breast.
Researchers say alcohol contributes to cancer development through several biological mechanisms, such as altering hormone levels, damaging DNA via oxidative stress and acetaldehyde (a toxic metabolite of ethanol), and disrupting the gut microbiome.
Reducing or stopping alcohol consumption lowers the risk of developing these cancers. The report notes that most alcohol-related cancers are associated with “risky” (two to six drinks per day) or “heavy” drinking (more than six drinks per day), but even “moderate” consumption—fewer than two drinks daily—caused over 100,000 new cancer cases globally in 2020.
Reducing the Risks
This new IARC analysis is the first to evaluate the potential benefits of alcohol-related cancer prevention. It confirms that population-wide alcohol control policies reduce drinking and, consequently, cancer risk.
The agency recommends strategies such as higher taxes, minimum pricing, raising the legal drinking age, restricting the number and hours of alcohol retailers, banning marketing, and introducing government-controlled sales.
Evidence shows these policies are effective. For instance, a 2021 study found that doubling alcohol excise taxes could have prevented 6% of new alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths in 2019 across the WHO European Region.
“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.”
