Every year, alcohol brings nearly 1 million deaths to countries of the WHO European Region. If we want to prevent them, we need to stop the normalization of drinking and raise awareness of the fact that alcohol is a dangerous substance that is poorly regulated compared to other psychoactive substances.
A new, third edition of the book “Alcohol: no ordinary commodity – research and public policy” highlights this problem and suggests possible solutions. WHO/Europe will launch the book at a hybrid online and in-person event at UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The book’s key findings will be presented by its 2 main authors:
- Thomas Babor, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine (United States of America); and
- Jürgen Rehm, Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Canada), and Member of WHO/Europe’s Advisory Council on Innovation for Noncommunicable Diseases.
The authors will review the recent trends in drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems, summarize the evidence on the most effective and cost-effective policy options to reduce consumption and harms, and discuss the growing influence of the alcohol industry in policy-making.
The working languages of the book launch will be English and Russian, and simultaneous interpretation will be provided.