Alcohol pricing policies and taxation are among the most effective and cost–effective measures to reduce alcohol consumption and harms – but most countries of the WHO European Region still do not use these valuable tools to their full potential.
Over the past decades, alcohol has become more affordable in the European Region because the vast majority of countries do not adjust their alcohol prices for inflation, which is making alcohol cheaper relative to other goods people are buying. One measure that could prevent this development is the introduction of a minimum price below which alcoholic beverages cannot be sold by law.
The new WHO report “No place for cheap alcohol. The potential value of minimum pricing for protecting lives” explores this measure in-depth, provides a first-ever review of minimum pricing policies on alcohol and summarizes the most recent evidence on their impact for countries to consider.
The WHO online launch event will highlight the main findings of the report and bring together decision-makers and world leading experts in alcohol pricing and taxation.
During the event, the following topics will be discussed:
- how alcohol pricing and taxation measures can be transformed into effective health policies;
- successful implementation of minimum pricing policies: experience from countries;
- how most common objections against minimum pricing and taxation of alcohol do not stand up to fact checks.
Key speakers include:
- Carina Ferreira–Borges, Senior Advisor, Noncommunicable Diseases, and Programme Manager, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs, WHO/Europe
- Colin Angus, Senior Research Fellow in the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group, Sheffield University, United Kingdom
- Franco Sassi, Professor of International Health Policy and Economics, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, and Member of the WHO/Europe NCD Advisory Council
- Jürgen Rehm, Senior Scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada, and Member of the WHO/Europe NCD Advisory Council
- Maristela Monteiro, Senior Advisor on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health Department, Pan American Health Organization
- Juan Tello, Unit Head, Less Alcohol Unit, WHO headquarters
To register for the launch event, please use the link below. The working language for the discussion will be English. Russian and Spanish interpretation will be available.
Alcohol is a leading global risk factor for ill health and premature mortality and is responsible for almost 1 million deaths in the European Region each year. Globally, this Region has the highest share of deaths caused by alcohol consumption – about 12% of male and 8% of female deaths.
Alcohol use disorders are just the tip of the iceberg. Alcohol consumption causes cardiovascular and digestive diseases, cancers and injuries – and increases mortality levels in many different contexts.