Since 2010, harmful drinking and global alcohol-attributable mortality rates have been plummeting, by 20% according to data from the World Health Organisation’s Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, released at the end of last year. A closer look at the European Union numbers shows similar declines, even if this varies from country to country.
With binge drinking falling, particularly among young adults, underage drinking on the decline, drink drive fatalities dropping and overall alcohol consumption also decreasing in the EU, it is clear that moderation and responsibility are on the rise when it comes to alcohol.
With the weight of more than four decades of independent scientific research showing that, for the vast majority of adult consumers, moderate alcohol consumption can be compatible with a balanced lifestyle, it is clear that, whilst people should not consume alcohol for health reasons, brewers’ efforts in support of responsible and moderate beer consumption are working and this work should continue. The beer industry has for decades been a champion of moderate consumption, notably with our Beer Pledge encouraging responsible drinking, often through multistakeholder partnerships with government and other key stakeholders, and with #ProudToBeClear, our voluntary labelling commitment that provides the facts about beer. Also in recent years, the brewers have been expanding the choice for consumers when it comes to moderation. Beer is already the lowest alcohol category but, on top of this and thanks to innovation, brewers have been offering over the last decade a growing choice of lower and non-alcohol beers. Today non-alcohol beer accounts for one in fifteen beers consumed in the EU.
With an alcohol and health debate that is complex, consumers need comprehensive, objective information, placed in context, rather than simplistic messages that don’t help people to understand the risks associated with different amounts and patterns of consumption. Working together, we can promote moderation, both safeguarding public health and respecting adults’ freedom to make informed, responsible decisions about whether and how much they drink.
Contact:
Simon Spillane, sws@brewersofeurope.org, @brewersofeurope
About The Brewers of Europe:
Based in Brussels, The Brewers of Europe brings together national brewers’ associations and companies from 28 European countries to support the united interests of Europe’s 10,000+ breweries. Our vision is to ensure a competitive, responsible and sustainable European brewing sector, creating shared value across the entire value chain and enriching European culture.