Upward Trends in Alcohol Consumption and Related Harm in Finland

Abstract

Aim

Our aim was to study whether the development in the rates of harm still follows the development in per capita alcohol consumption, and to clarify the relationship between alcohol consumption and related harms by paying attention to third factors affecting this relationship.

Data

Statistics on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm associated with the maintenance of public order and safety alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations, and treatment for alcohol problems in the period 1990–2004.

Analysis

In the last 15 years, alcohol consumption in Finland first decreased during the economic recession of the early 1990s, and then increased almost constantly. Some harm series roughly followed these consumption trends, and for some others the connection with alcohol consumption became obvious when the effect of some third factor was taken into account. Harm rates also increased in 2004 when alcohol consumption increased by 10% after a decrease of alcohol excise duty rates of 33% on average.

Conclusions

In Finland changes in alcohol consumption are still today followed by changes in rates of alcohol-related harm.