Event highlights
On 24 June 2025, 37 participants, including representatives from national cancer organizations in 15 European countries, pan-European organizations, health professionals, researchers and people with lived experience, gathered in Paris for a 1-day meeting on alcohol and cancer.
The meeting was convened by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the French National Cancer Institute and the Association of European Cancer Leagues. It was conducted as part of the Evidence-into-Action Alcohol Project, with support from the European Union. The aim of the meeting was to foster dialogue for cross-country collaboration to advance awareness and support for evidence-based policies aligned with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
The meeting offered an interdisciplinary programme that highlighted the voices of people with lived experience (including through a panel dialogue and personal testimonies) and facilitated rich group discussions on awareness gaps, policy needs, the role of cancer organizations and opportunities for joint action.
During the meeting, representatives of cancer organizations and other participants discussed the outcomes presented below.
- Awareness is low and communication must improve. Most people (including policy-makers and professionals) are unaware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Communication must be clear, evidence-based, non-judgemental, tailored to different audiences and repeated over time.
- Lessons from other public health efforts can be applied. Successful public health campaigns (such as those related to smoking, alcohol and pregnancy) can be considered and adapted.
- Lived experience is transformative. Involving people with lived experience adds emotional resonance, credibility and urgency to awareness efforts.
- Culture change requires positive alternatives. Challenging alcohol norms, especially for youth and social settings, means offering new, appealing narratives and experiences and culturally relevant tools.
- Stigma and self-blame undermine engagement. Communications can focus on informed choice, reducing risk and promoting a culture of progress over perfection.
- “The alcohol industry has power and so do we”. While the alcohol industry dominates marketing, public health can also adopt similar strategies – storytelling, emotion, branding and creative partnerships.
- Health professionals are critical messengers. Clinicians need training and tools to confidently and compassionately discuss alcohol-related cancer risks as part of routine care.
A WHO presentation showed that cancer warnings on alcohol labels help to raise awareness, especially among health-conscious people. In the group discussion, participants identified barriers to effective labelling, such as industry messaging and inconsistent regulations, and emphasized the need for coordinated advocacy and collaboration to advance mandatory health labelling.
The meeting provided a platform for enhanced awareness, connection, collaboration and inspiration for action. Initial ideas for joint activities were discussed and WHO/Europe will facilitate relevant follow-up convening opportunities.
Event notice
WHO/Europe and the French National Cancer Institute (INCA), with the support of the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), will co-host a 1-day workshop in Paris, France, on 24 June 2025 to strengthen collaboration across Europe on alcohol-related cancer prevention.
Building on momentum from a WHO/Europe session at the 2024 World Cancer Congress, this workshop will bring together national cancer organizations, public health experts and individuals with lived experience to explore how research, advocacy and policy can align to tackle alcohol as a cancer risk factor.
Although the causal link between alcohol and cancer has been known for decades, awareness remains low across much of Europe. Less than half of adults in European Union (EU) countries are aware of alcohol’s role in cancer development. This persistent gap in understanding presents both a challenge and an opportunity for coordinated, person-centred action.
The Paris workshop will convene participants from across Europe to exchange experiences, highlight the latest research findings and effective models of public engagement, and identify actionable strategies to improve awareness and policy.
The programme will emphasize the importance of involving people affected by cancer; challenge societal norms that encourage alcohol consumption; and consider the responsibility of governments in protecting citizens through evidence-based policies, such as implementation of health warning labels on alcohol bottles.
Key outcomes include a shared understanding of the current European landscape, concrete action points for national cancer organizations, and a roadmap for continued evidence-based capacity-building supported by the WHO–EU Evidence into Action Alcohol Project (EVID-ACTION) and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
The event will be participatory in nature, aiming to inspire meaningful collaboration and empower cancer organizations to drive change at national and regional levels.