The World Health Organization has recommended that alcohol taxes in Europe be doubled to prevent nearly 5,000 cancer deaths yearly as high levels of alcohol consumption in the region has led to an increase in alcohol related cancer deaths.
Alcohol is said to be linked to oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus, colorectal, liver, larynx, and female breast cancer.
Asides doubling the excise duties of alcoholic beverages which can effectively reduce alcohol-related cancer deaths in the future, enforcing restrictions on the physical availability of alcohol by reducing sale hours or enforcing bans on its advertisements are also low cost measures to reduce all alcohol-related health problems, says WHO European region.
The WHO also said that every country interested in improving the health of its people will see positive results if these policies are implemented.