Alcohol use is contributing to around 800,000 deaths in Europe every year, accounting for one in every eleven deaths, according to a report by the World Health Organization.
In a new fact sheet published this week, the agency said the continent has “the highest alcohol consumption levels globally,” with drinking contributing substantially to premature mortality and injury.
Based on 2019 data, the latest year available, nearly 145,000 injury deaths in the region were attributable to alcohol, the report said. The largest categories were self-harm, road injuries, and falls.
According to the organization, drinking has also been closely linked to interpersonal violence, including assaults and domestic abuse, identifying it as a major contributing factor to violent injury deaths across the region.
Young people are particularly at risk, with alcohol affecting brain development and decision-making during adolescence and early adulthood. WHO said drinking can impair memory and learning ability, as well as increase the risk of long-term harm, including alcohol use disorders and other mental health problems.
Among adolescents and young adults, alcohol remains a leading risk factor for injury-related disability and premature death.
“Alcohol is a toxic substance that not only causes seven types of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases, but also impairs judgment and self-control, slows reaction times, reduces coordination and promotes risk-taking behavior,” said Carina Ferreira-Borges, Regional Adviser for Alcohol, Illicit Drugs and Prison Health at WHO/Europe. “This is why it is implicated in so many preventable injuries and injury deaths.”
Grogon@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
I drink every few months at parties or some kind of other festivs but not ever weekend.
The issue I have with alcohol is that if I drink, I drink a lot. So if I commit to drinking I’ll go full drink mode. And it really fcks my whole next week up.
If I Bench 110 kg on friday I won’t be benching 80 kgs on monday if I drank saturday. The whole week is actually broke, I’ll skip tuesday gym and wednesday, be tired til thursday.
So one weekend of drinking costs me like 4-5 days of my progress in the gym.
I think a lot of people dont have issues with drinking, the issue is the following days you eat junk food, dont care about your nutrition, have bad sleep, skip gym or dont do anything cause your fatigued and still recovering from the drinking.
When I was 20 I didnt care.
Lovstuhagen@hilariouschaos.com 3 hours ago
Oh yeah, it’s amazing how your social circle shrinks when you stop drinking, and how many close friends are now just names you see on social media making annoying posts.
I am now fully sober & enjoying it. People accuse me of being a recluse because I don’t pickle my liver and I take long walks and drink frappucinoes during the daytime instead of going to popular entertainment districts, getting super drunk, and spending a fifth of my money on nonsense booze & snacks.