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Monday, November 9, 2009

SWEDISH ALCOHOL POLICY - AN EFFECTIVE POLICY?


In this report, commissioned by The Brewers of Europe, the Swedish Retail Institute, HUI, has analysed the success and failures of Swedish alcohol policy.

KEY FINDINGS

 The outcome of this scrutiny of Sweden’s alcohol policy is that it has produced mixed results and led to unintended consequences from both economic and public health points of view.

 Whilst the fundamentals of Sweden’s alcohol policy have focused on seeking to reduce overall alcohol consumption with a view to reducing alcohol-related harm :

o Alcohol consumption in Sweden has increased by 30% over the past 15 years;

o Meanwhile, whilst Swedes’ drinking habits have evolved towards more « continental style » habits, Sweden still has amongst the highest rates of binge drinking as compared to other European countries, in particular binge drinking by young people under the legal drinking age;

o However, the negative effects of alcohol abuse have not increased to the same extent as overall alcohol consumption.

 Without (major) adaptations, the intended efficacy of Sweden’s taxation and availability policies have been further challenged since Sweden’s 1995 accession to the European Union :

o Unregistered channels including personal imports and smuggling have reached higher levels (e.g. almost 30% for beer);

o The state-owned retail monopoly has over the last 15 years lost market share to a very significant extent, notably to the
benefit of unregistered channels ;

o In particular, the sale of smuggled alcohol to young people under the legal age has become a source of greater concern;
o Criminality associated with and resulting from smuggling has become more professional;

o State revenue has been affected;

o Sweden’s brewing chain has been negatively impacted (decline in production, employment and sales).

Read Full Report (PDF)
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