ONE IN THREE DEATHS IN EUROPE FROM INJURY/VIOLENCE DUE TO ALCOHOL, SAYS WHO

Sat 27 December 2025:

Alcohol consumption has emerged as one of Europe’s deadliest and most underestimated threats, with a World Health Organisation study revealing it plays a role in one in three deaths from injury and violence, a crisis that intensifies during holiday periods as drinking levels soar.According to a new factsheet by WHO/Europe based on 2019 data, nearly 145,000 injury-related deaths in the region were attributable to alcohol, including self-harm, road traffic injuries and falls.

“No other psychoactive substance contributes so heavily to both unintentional and intentional injuries,” the agency said, warning that alcohol remains a particularly dangerous risk factor for young people.

WHO/Europe said the region has the highest alcohol consumption levels globally, with alcohol use causing an estimated 800,000 deaths each year — around one in every 11 deaths.

“Alcohol is a toxic substance that impairs judgement, slows reaction times and promotes risk-taking behaviour,” said Carina Ferreira-Borges, WHO/Europe’s regional adviser for alcohol, illicit drugs and prison health, adding that many alcohol-related injuries are preventable.

The report stressed a strong link between alcohol and violence, saying more than 40% of interpersonal violence deaths and over one-third of self-harm deaths in 2019 were alcohol-attributable.

Women and children are disproportionately affected, particularly through intimate partner violence.

Alcohol also poses a serious threat to adolescents and young adults, WHO said, citing heavy episodic drinking as a key factor behind road injuries, drowning, falls and self-harm among younger age groups.

Despite progress in recent decades, sharp inequalities persist across Europe, the report noted.

Eastern European countries see the highest alcohol-related injury death rates, with alcohol linked to more than half of all injury deaths in some countries, compared with less than 20% in many western and southern states.

WHO also urged governments to strengthen alcohol control policies, including higher taxes, stricter marketing bans, tougher drink-driving enforcement and early screening in healthcare settings, saying such measures could prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths each year.

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Islamic prohibition

Islam strictly prohibits alcohol because the Quran and Hadith describe it as a work of Satan, harmful to health, a cause of addiction, detrimental to society, and a barrier to spiritual remembrance, aiming to preserve mental clarity, personal well-being, and communal harmony.

The prohibition is comprehensive, applying to all intoxicants, not just grape wine, and extends to all related activities like selling or transporting it.

The Quran elaborates on this in Surah Al-Ma’idah: “O believers! Intoxicants, gambling, idols, and drawing lots for decisions are all evil of Satan’s handiwork. So shun them so you may be successful.

“Satan’s plan is to stir up hostility and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and to prevent you from remembering Allah and praying. Will you not then abstain?”

However, despite the ban, some Muslim-majority countries have begun to make exceptions as part of a westernisation phenomena spreading across the Muslim world.

Saudi Arabia and other Arabian Peninsular states do not permit general alcohol sales, but have recently eased restrictions for non-Muslim foreign residents, allowing limited purchases for foreign expats and diplomats.

Alcohol can be sold and consumed in the UAE in special licensed locations but remains strictly prohibited being displayed or consumed in public spaces.

Qatar also controversially allowed the sale of alcohol in special “fan zones” during the recent Qatar-hosted World Cup.

The research serves as a timely reminder of the dangers that alcohol consumption poses to society and the wise reasoning behind its outlawing in Islamic teachings.

By RobCarter