The SAFER initiative

The SAFER initiative

A world free from alcohol related harm

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Every 10 seconds a person dies from alcohol-related causes. WHO, in collaboration with international partners, launched the SAFER initiative in 2018. "SAFER" is an acronym for the 5 most cost effective interventions to reduce alcohol related harm.

SAFER banner

The SAFER interventions

Strengthen restrictions on alcohol availability

Enacting and enforcing restrictions on commercial or public availability of alcohol through laws, policies, and programmes are important ways to reduce harmful use of alcohol. Such strategies provide essential measures to prevent easy access to alcohol by young people and other vulnerable and high-risk groups.

Advance and enforce drink driving counter measures

Road users who are impaired by alcohol have a significantly higher risk of being involved in a crash. Enacting and enforcing strong drink-driving laws and low blood alcohol concentration limits via sobriety checkpoints and random breath testing will help to turn the tide.

Facilitate access to screening, brief interventions and treatment

Health professionals have an important role in helping people to reduce or stop their drinking to reduce health risks, and health services have to provide effective interventions for those in need of help and their families.

Enforce bans or comprehensive restrictions on alcohol advertising, sponsorship, and promotion

Bans and comprehensive restrictions on alcohol advertising, sponsorship and promotion are impactful and cost-effective measures. Enacting and enforcing bans or comprehensive restrictions on exposure to them in the digital world will bring public health benefits and help protect children, adolescents and abstainers from the pressure to start consuming alcohol.

Raise prices on alcohol through excise taxes and pricing policies

Alcohol taxation and pricing policies are among the most effective and cost-effective alcohol control measures. An increase in excise taxes on alcoholic beverages is a proven measure to reduce harmful use of alcohol and it provides governments revenue to offset the economic costs of harmful use of alcohol.

SAFER partners

safer partners

Contact the SAFER Secretariat:

Mr Dag Rekve

Senior Technical Officer, Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours

Email: [email protected]

Dr Vladimir Poznyak

Unit Head, Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours

Email: [email protected]

Ms Sarah Roache

SAFER Consultant, Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours

Email: [email protected]

 Dr Nick Banatvala 
 Head of Secretariat for the UN Task Force on NCDs 
 E-mail: [email protected]

 Dr Juan Tello
 Unit Head, Less Alcohol
 E-mail: [email protected]