Alcohol | The loosening of alcohol legislation increases adverse effects in Finland as well, says the WHO program director

World according to the health organization WHO, a modern, progressive European alcohol policy should support the tightening of alcohol legislation.

In June, the new alcohol law in Finland introduced a maximum of eight percent fermented alcoholic beverages to grocery stores. According to the government, the purpose of the changes has been to liberalize alcohol regulation in responsible steps to European in the direction of.

“Unfortunately, the so-called European habit is very harmful and we are one of the countries in the world that drink more than others. The statistics do not look good in that regard, but have shown us that the habit does not work and causes a lot of harm to society”, WHO Program Director responsible for alcohol issues in Europe Carina Ferreira-Borges says to STT.

Alcohol legislation according to Ferreira-Borges, loosening up has been proven to increase alcohol consumption and thereby also the adverse effects of alcohol, and Finland is no different in this regard.

WHO predicts that in 2025 Finland’s alcohol consumption will be that of the Nordic countries the biggest. In 2020, consumption in Finland was that of the Nordic countries third the biggest.

Compared to the rest of Europe, according to the forecast, alcohol consumption would be at an average level. Consumption in Russia, Romania and Latvia is expected to be significantly higher than the European average.

To the same at a time when Finland’s alcohol policy has loosened, WHO supports the tightening of legislation in Europe and the world more Nordic model.

According to the WHO, countries should limit the marketing of alcohol, tighten its taxation and price policy, and limit the availability of alcohol more than currently.

In Europe, according to the WHO, alcohol is responsible for around 2,200 deaths daily.

“Alcohol causes a lot of problems in society. Alcohol also increases the risk of various cancers, such as breast cancer, even in small doses. The evidence shows that when the availability of alcohol is increased, people also consume more alcohol,” says Ferreira-Borges.

Also in Sweden easing of the alcohol legislation is being planned.

The country’s center-right government wants to allow wineries, microbreweries and small distilleries to sell alcoholic beverages to their customers directly on site starting next year.

Sweden and Finland are the only EU countries that have state monopolies for the sale of alcohol. Systembolaget, which corresponds to Suomen Alko, is the only retail store in Sweden that sells over 3.5% alcoholic beverages.

Of the Nordic countries, only Denmark does not have a state monopoly on the sale of alcohol.

“Other countries look at the Nordic alcohol state monopolies today as a good, modern model. State-owned monopolies are very important state mechanisms that should be preserved because they help reduce alcohol-related harm,” says Ferreira-Borges.

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According to THL, the risky use of alcohol is still common in Finland.

Some European countries have started to limit their alcohol legislation.

For example, in Lithuania, alcohol laws have been tightened during the 2000s and 2010s. The blackmail succeeded in reducing the country’s alcohol consumption by 17 percent between 2015 and 2017. In addition, according to the WHO, the alcohol mortality rate in Lithuania decreased thanks to the changes in the law a fifth in the years 2010–2016.

“The results were immediate. Alcohol-related mortality decreased, and life expectancy increased. Health differences also decreased as a result of the changes,” states Ferreira-Borges.

Ireland, on the other hand, is planning to be the first country in the world to make warning labels mandatory on the sides of alcoholic beverages. The changes will enter into force in 2026, he says Euronews.

Currently, WHO cooperates with Nordic state monopolies. The goal of the cooperation is Alkon bulletin to message Finnish consumers about the health hazards of alcohol and to increase understanding, especially of the connection between alcohol and cancer, as part of WHO’s European Evid-Action project.

Alcohol According to THL, risky use is still common in Finland.

In 2023, 15 percent of men and 9 percent of women between the ages of 20 and 69 drank so much that they had an increased risk of long-term health problems. The study used the moderate risk limit as the risk limit, which according to THL is seven or more doses per week for women and 14 or more doses for men.

Of the entire population aged 20–69, more than a quarter exceeded the lowest risk limit of the audit test that screens for alcohol problems, based on which, according to the recommendations, they should be offered counseling in health care to reduce alcohol use, THL says.

THL’s research was carried out in the spring of 2023 as telephone interviews as part of the Terve Suomi health inspection study. The sample of the Finnish drinking habits study, which examines alcohol consumption, was about 4,600 people.