Restricting access to retail alcohol would help to reduce harms from alcohol and improve population health according to the WHO

Effective measures and policies needed

Effective measures and policies exist to reduce harms from alcohol and improve population health. The European Action Plan to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol 2012–2020 outlines a range of evidence-based policy options.

Three of the most cost-effective policy areas (the “best-buys”) are:

• increasing price via taxation
• restricting access to retail alcohol
• imposing a ban on alcohol advertising.

http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/alcohol-use/news/news/2018/02/raising-awareness-of-the-link-between-alcohol-and-cancer