Thomas Karlsson Thomas Karlsson Thomas Karlsson Nordic Alcohol Policy Nordic Alcohol Policy in Europe in Europe The Adaptation of Finland’s, Sweden’s and Norway’s Alcohol Policies to a New Policy Framework, 1994–2013 The Adaptation of Finland’s, Sweden’s and Norway’s Alcohol Policies to a New Policy Framework, 1994–2013 Nordic Alcohol Policy in Europe Policy Alcohol Nordic To what extent have Finland, Sweden and Norway adapted their alcohol policies to the framework imposed on them by the European Union and the European Economic Area since the mid-1990s? How has alcohol policies in the Nordic countries evolved between 1994 and 2013 and how strict are their alcohol policies in comparison with the rest of Europe? These are some of the main research questions in this study. Besides alcohol policies, the analyses comprise the development of alcohol consumption and cross-border trade with alcohol. In addition to a qualitative analysis, a RESEARCH quantitative scale constructed to measure the strictness of alcohol policies is RESEARCH utilised. The results from the study clearly corroborate earlier findings on the significance of Europeanisation and the Single Market for the development of Nordic alcohol policy. All in all, alcohol policies in the Nordic countries are more liberal in 2013 than they were in 1994. The restrictive Nordic policy tradition has, however, still a solid evidence base and nothing prevents it from being the base for alcohol policy in the Nordic countries also in the future. National Institute for Health and Welfare P.O. Box 30 (Mannerheimintie 166) FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland 137 Telephone: 358 29 524 6000 137 137 2014 ISBN 978-952-302-306-2 www.thl.fi RESEARCH 137 • 2014 Thomas Karlsson Nordic Alcohol Policy in Europe The Adaptation of Finland’s, Sweden’s and Norway’s Alcohol Policies to a New Policy Framework, 1994–2013 ACADEMIC DISSERTATION To be presented with the permission of the Department of Social Sciences, Åbo Akademi University for public examination at Akademisalen, Åbo Akademi University, Strandgatan 2, Vasa, at 12 noon on Friday, November 21, 2014. © Author and National Health Institute for Health and Welfare Cover photo: Anna-Stina Häggström Layout: Helena Aavavesi ISBN 978-952-302-306-2 (printed) ISSN 1798-0054 (printed) ISBN 978-952-302- 307-9 (online publication) ISSN 1798-0062 (online publication) http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-302-307-9 Juvenes Print – Finnish University Print Ltd Finland 2014 Supervisors Christoffer Tigerstedt, Senior Researcher National Institute for Health and Welfare, THL Department of Alcohol and Drugs Finland Gunborg Jakobsson, Professor Åbo Akademi University Department of Social Policy Finland Reviewers Jussi Simpura, Research Professor National Institute for Health and Welfare, THL Finland Håkan Leifman, Director The Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs, CAN Sweden Opponent Jussi Simpura, Research Professor National Institute for Health and Welfare, THL Finland Acknowledgements This doctoral thesis is a result of a lengthy, somewhat unstructured process that has its beginning in my desire to do comparative research involving the Nordic countries. What began in 2003 as an article comparing the Finnish and Swedish alcohol policies ended up ten years later in five more articles and in a dissertation including over 30 European countries. Needless to say, the work hasn’t always been a walk in the park and sometimes it’s even felt more like a walk on rusty nails. Nevertheless, when all is said and done, it has been worth every moment. I couldn’t, however, have done this without the help of my colleagues, co- workers and friends. First, I would like to thank Pia Rosenqvist who in the late 1990s hired me at the Nordic Council for Alcohol and Drugs (now the Nordic Centre for Welfare and Social Issues) and woke my interest in Nordic studies. Without her hiring me then, this dissertation would hardly ever have been done! I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to my co-authors in the articles, Esa Österberg and Toffy Tigerstedt, who also was my supervisor. Their input for the end product has been crucial and I have learned a lot from their expertise during the past two decades. As my closest colleagues, they have to a large extent molded me to the researcher I am today. Thank you for that, dear friends! My humblest compliments go to Jussi Simpura and Håkan Leifman who reviewed the final manuscript, had good suggestions on improving it and deemed it good enough to be accepted. Both Jussi and Håkan played an important role in the beginning of my career when the three of us were involved in the European Comparative Alcohol Study in the late 1990s. At the time, Jussi tried to persuade me to do a dissertation on alcohol on small autonomous islands in the world. Sadly enough, the thesis “Islands in the Ocean of Spirits” never managed to attract enough funding to be completed. Another person who I am indebted to is my supervisor and professor Gunborg Jakobsson, who ten years ago lured me back to my Alma Mater. Although social policy as a study subject had moved from Åbo to Vasa, Gunborg made me feel at home and I haven’t regretted for a second that I took up on her offer. My dissertation would of course never have been written without help from the different countries I have studied. Therefore I would like to thank all the civil servants, researchers and professionals that have contributed to the study. Your help has been priceless! I would especially like to thank Jenny Cisneros Örnberg at the Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, SoRAD and Trygve Ugland formerly at the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research, SIRUS, now at Bishop’s University, Canada, whose research on Swedish and Norwegian alcohol policy vis–à–vis the European Union has been of great value and inspiration to me. Thank you both! Nothing of this would have been possible without the support of my co-workers at the Unit of Alcohol and Drugs at the Department of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction at THL. Big thanks to my bosses Pia Mäkelä and Pekka Hakkarainen who have encouraged me to finalise my dissertation and to Helena Aavavesi that helped me with the final stages. I would also like to thank Katariina Warpenius, whose sharp analytical mind and witty remarks never seize to amaze me. My “roommate” and close colleague for 15 years Kirsimarja Raitasalo deserves hearty thanks for being a good friend and an excellent coworker. Thank you for your support and that you at least have pretended to laugh at my lame jokes. Mikaela Lindeman has played a special role for my dissertation. On her own initiative, she has taken over some of my more tedious duties and performed them perfectly. This has enabled me to concentrate on finalising my study. I can never thank you enough Mikaela! It has been a busy ten year period in many respects and everything hasn’t always gone according to plan. In coping with life’s little ups and downs my friends and family have been invaluable in putting things into perspective. Therefore, I dedicate this dissertation to my wife Erika and to my son Alec. Without them, life would be bland and boring! Helsinki, 15 August 2014 Thomas Dedicated to Erika & Alec Abstract Thomas Karlsson, Nordic Alcohol Policy in Europe. The Adaptation of Finland’s, Sweden’s and Norway’s Alcohol Policies to a New Policy Framework, 1994–2013. National Institute for Health and Welfare. Research 137. 197 pages. Helsinki, Finland 2014. ISBN 978-952-302-306-2 (printed); ISBN 978-952-302-307-9 (online publication) The purpose of this thesis is to study how and to which extent Finland, Sweden and Norway have adapted their alcohol policies to the framework imposed to them by the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) since the mid-1990s. This is done by studying the underlying mechanisms that have influenced the formation of alcohol policy in the Nordic countries in that period. As a part of this analysis main differences in alcohol policies and alcohol consumption between the three countries are assessed and the phenomenon of cross-border trade with alcohol is discussed. The study examines also the development of Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish alcohol policies between 1994 and 2012 and compares the Nordic alcohol policies with other alcohol policies in Europe as the situation was in 2012. The time frame of the study spans from the mid-1990s to the end of 2013 and is divided into three phases. Studying the role of the Europeanisation process on the formation of alcohol policies has a key role in the analysis. Besides alcohol policies, the analyses comprise the development of alcohol consumption and cross-border trade with alcohol. In addition, a quantitative scale constructed to measure the strictness of alcohol policies is utilised in the analyses. The results from the scale are used to substantiate the qualitative analysis and to test whether the stereotypical view of a strict Nordic alcohol policy is still true. The results from the study clearly corroborate earlier findings on the significance of Europeanisation and the Single Market for the development of alcohol policies in the Nordic countries. Free movement of goods and unhindered competition have challenged the principle of disinterest and enabled private profit seeking in alcohol trade. The Single Market has also contributed to the increase in availability of alcohol and made it more difficult for the Nordic EU member states to maintain restrictive alcohol policies. All in all, alcohol policies in the Nordic countries are more liberal in 2013 than they were in 1994.