Moment of clarity in Europe's alcohol problem

Europeans are the heaviest drinkers in the world, consuming two-and-a-half times the average seen on the rest of the globe, according to a landmark report sponsored by the European Commission.

The survey by the London-based Institute of Alcohol Studies maps EU alcohol consumption and the scale of related social and economic costs in a study that is not for the faint-hearted.

It blames alcohol for 7.4 percent of health problems and early deaths across the EU, making it the third wo...