In 2019, three quarters of EU adults have consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months and nearly 9% consumed alcohol daily. Interestingly, the new generations consume alcohol less than older ones. People aged 15 to 24 had the lowest share of those who consumed alcohol the most frequently (i.e., every day).
Denmark topped the EU countries with the highest share of adults reporting heavy drinking episodes at least once a month, with a proportion of 38% of the Danish adult population. Heavy episodic alcohol drinking (sometimes described as binge drinking) is defined as an alcohol consumption exceeding 60 grams of pure ethanol on a single occasion. Interestingly, the lowest rates of heavy episodic alcohol drinking in the EU were observed in Cyprus and Italy, with a rate of 4%. Heavy episodic alcohol drinking can harm the heart in a way much worse than when the same total amount of alcohol is consumed over a prolonged period of time.
