Investing in policies to reduce harmful alcohol consumption would save millions of lives. The economic benefits of
putting them in place would also be much higher than the costs, according to a new OECD report.
Preventing Harmful Alcohol Use estimates that for every USD 1 invested, up to USD 16 is returned in economic benefit, excluding the impact on
alcohol-related businesses.
Analysis of 52 OECD, European Union and Group of 20 (G20) countries show that life expectancy will be 0.9 years lower
over the next 30 years due to diseases and injuries caused by drinking more than 1 drink per day for women and 1.5
drinks per day for men, corresponding to a lower-risk threshold specifically used for the simulation. This estimate
varies widely across countries, which reflects the level of alcohol consumption and the provision of health care
services. The largest reductions in life expectancy are estimated in Central and Eastern European countries.
Diseases and injuries from alcohol consumption above 1/1.5 drinks per day cause medical costs equal to about 2.4% of
total health expenditure each year. Combined with the impact on labour force productivity, it is estimated that GDP will
be 1.6% lower on average in OECD countries annually over the next 30 years, varying from 0.2% in Turkey to 3.8% in
Lithuania.
The report includes analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s drinking habits. It finds a higher
number of people reporting an increase in volume and frequency of drinking compared to the number drinking less. In
Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, overall alcohol sales slightly increased by 3-5% in 2020 compared to
2019, according to preliminary estimates.
During the lockdowns, women, parents of young children, people with higher income and those with anxiety and depressive
symptoms reported the highest increase in alcohol consumption, for instance in Australia, Belgium, France, the United
Kingdom and the United States. Emergency calls about domestic violence rose by 60% in EU countries.
The report reveals that harmful patterns of alcohol consumption, such as underage , heavy or binge drinking, are highly
prevalent in some population groups. Monthly binge drinking is a habit for one in three adults in OECD countries. Women
with higher education and people with the lowest and the highest incomes are particularly at risk.
Analysis of national efforts to reduce harmful alcohol consumption reveals that in many countries the implementation of
policies on the ground and their effectiveness are hindered by poor implementation, limited resources or practical
problems.
A comprehensive approach, including limiting the promotion of alcohol to children, better police enforcement to prevent
alcohol-related traffic injuries, expanding coverage of counselling for patients with harmful alcohol consumption, and
price policies to limit the affordability of alcohol, particularly for cheap alcohol, would have the biggest impact,
according to the report.
Download the report, the accompanying policy brief on the effect of COVID-19 on alcohol consumption and the country notes.