Evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm

Abstract

There is a substantial evidence base on the effectiveness of different policiesin reducing the harm done by alcohol. Policies that regulate the economic andphysical availability of alcohol are effective in reducing alcohol-related harm.Enforced legislative measures to reduce drinking and driving andinterventions individually directed to drinkers already at risk are alsoeffective. The evidence shows that information and education programmesdo not reduce alcohol-related harm; nevertheless, they have a role inproviding information, reframing alcohol-related problems and increasingattention to alcohol on the political and public agendas. In all parts of theEuropean Union, population-based interventions represent a highly cost–effective use of resources to reduce alcohol-related harm. Brief interventionsfor individual high-risk drinkers are also cost–effective, but are harder toscale up because of their associated training and manpower needs.