During the last ten years a number of doctoral dissertations and other thorough studies of alcohol and drug treatment organisations, ideas and innovations have been published in the Nordic countries. They have been produced within historical or social science frameworks, covering various periods of the last 120 years and both alcohol and drug treatment. Most of them are written in the Scandinavian languages or Finnish and as a consequence are not accessible to an international audience. This fact was the first reason behind this book: there was a body of new Nordic research on the history of treatment that has produced new knowledge about the system and that could merit an international audience.
Another reason why the Nordic experiences may be of interest outside the region is our tradition of making comparisons. Due to their having had a long common history, with shared languages and religious and social values, it has been natural for all the Nordic countries to build up their welfare systems by looking at what their closest neighbours do. The Nordic Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, the publisher of this book, is an eminent example of the fruitfulness of using comparative perspectives in the analysis of alcohol and drug consumption trends, policies and social reactions.
Another reason why the Nordic experiences may be of interest outside the region is our tradition of making comparisons. Due to their having had a long common history, with shared languages and religious and social values, it has been natural for all the Nordic countries to build up their welfare systems by looking at what their closest neighbours do. The Nordic Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, the publisher of this book, is an eminent example of the fruitfulness of using comparative perspectives in the analysis of alcohol and drug consumption trends, policies and social reactions.
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