Regional consultation on the implementation of the WHO European Action Plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol (2012 – 2020). Final report (2020)

The WHO European Region is the WHO region with the highest alcohol intake in the world and according high levels of harm. Alcohol is one of the leading risk factors for death and disability in the Region and the largest risk factor among young people. However, it was also the first region to present a European action plan in 1992 response to the situation, 8 years before the 2010 global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol was adopted by the World Health Assembly, following a consensus of delegations from all 193 Member States of the WHO.

Spurred on by this momentum for action, the WHO European Region has launched of a re-invigorated European action plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol 2012–2020. Eight years after its endorsement, the European Region still has the highest alcohol per capita consumption, resulting in great harms for individuals and societies.

The present report summarizes the outcomes of the regional consultation with the Member States of the European Region on the implementation of the European action plan and the zero draft roadmap of actions to strengthen implementation of the action plan, involving representatives of 33 Member States, which was held in Prague, Czech Republic, 30 September-1 October 2019.

The consultation highlighted the diversity across the Region, with countries differing greatly in their stage of implementation of policies to reduce alcohol use, and identified many common challenges and difficulties.