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New report: More than half of all alcohol consumption leads to intoxication
- Lauri Beekmann
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
09.03.2026 - More than half of all alcohol consumption leads to intoxication. In other words, intoxication is the most common way alcohol is consumed. This is the conclusion of this year’s research report in the Alcohol and Society series, Intoxication drinking, acute risks and long-term effects, which focuses on heavy episodic drinking and its acute risks and long-term consequences.
“In most high-income countries, more than half of all alcohol is consumed on occasions when people drink a bottle of wine or more. This is not a marginal behaviour, it is the norm. And these are precisely the occasions that cause the greatest harm,” says Sven Andréasson, Professor Emeritus of Social Medicine at Karolinska Institutet and one of the report’s authors.
Heavy episodic drinking is often defined in research as consuming around five standard drinks on a single occasion. When alcohol is consumed rapidly, blood alcohol concentration rises sharply and the body’s ability to break it down becomes overloaded, leading to both acute and long-term consequences. The risks of injuries and violence are well known, while the increased risks of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and dementia remain less widely recognised.
“The risks rise quickly when a large amount is consumed on one occasion. Drinking an entire week’s alcohol intake in a single evening is significantly more dangerous than spreading it out,” Sven Andréasson continues.
Around 30% of adults in OECD countries report drinking a bottle of wine or an equivalent amount of other alcoholic beverages at least once a month. At the same time, the scale of this drinking pattern is underestimated in surveys. Because heavy drinking accounts for such a large share of total consumption, it is also central to reducing both the direct and indirect harms caused by alcohol. Research shows that measures such as higher alcohol taxes, limited availability and restrictions on marketing reduce both total consumption and the riskiest drinking patterns.
“If we want to reduce alcohol harm, we need to reduce heavy drinking. That is where the greatest health gains can be made,” Sven Andréasson concludes.
This year’s report was prepared by internationally leading researchers and published as part of the Alcohol and Society research series. It is based on a review of current international and Swedish research on drinking patterns, biological mechanisms and the development of alcohol-related harm.
The research group behind the report consists of:Sven Andréasson, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm, SwedenFrida Dangardt, Department of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and the Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital Pediatric Heart Centre, Gothenburg, SwedenTanya Chikritzhs, Curtin University, National Drug Research Institute, Perth, AustraliaTim Stockwell, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC, CanadaTimothy Naimi, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC, CanadaHarold Holder, Senior Scientist Emeritus and former Director of the Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Berkeley, California, USA.
