More than 100 000 Europeans die prematurely each year from drinking, report warns

Alcohol is responsible for the premature deaths of 115 000 Europeans every year, says a major report that could set the European Union on a collision course with the brewing industry. The report, which is funded by the European Commission and will provide the evidence base for this year's EU alcohol strategy, shows levels of alcohol related ill health across the continent that are far higher than expected.

It concludes that drinking is responsible for 7.4% of all cases of ill health and early death in the EU as well as being the leading cause of death among young men. In terms of …