Policy

Europe has been at the forefront of action to reduce the harm done by alcohol. The WHO European Region was the first Region to approve an alcohol action plan in 1992 and latest in 2011.

Global Strategy

By adopting resolution WHA63.13 in 2010, the Sixty-third World Health Assembly endorsed the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, urged Member States to adopt and implement the global strategy as appropriate, and requested the Director-General to give sufficiently high organizational priority, and to assure adequate financial and human resources at all levels. 

European action plan

The European action plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol 2012 - 2020 was endorsed by 53 European Member States at the Regional Committee for Europe in September 2011 in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

It includes a wide range of policies and programmes that are relatively easy and cheap to implement, can reduce the harmful use of alcohol, promote health and well-being, improve productivity, and enhance human, health and social capital across the life course from birth to old age. This action plan proposes a range of options for the 10 action areas of the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. The action plan is also closely linked to the new European health policy, Health 2020, where noncommunicable diseases and the risk factors behind them are a priority for WHO during 2012–2020.