Abstract
The drinking habits on Åland, a region of Finland with far-reaching autonomy, are widely influenced by the lively tourism on the island and by the large amount of tax-free alcohol that every year is bought and consumed by the inhabitants. The annual alcohol consumption in 1995 was estimated between 7 and 8 litres absolute alcohol per capita, which is considerably higher than the consumption level according to the official sales statistics on Åland. It is also higher than the consumption level in the whole country, which according to the sales statistics in 1994 was 6.6 litres per capita. Even the share of abstainers, especially among women, is substantially lower than in the rest of the country. The overall drinking frequency is essentially the same as in the rest of Finland. A distinguishing factor is still the high drinking frequency among women in the age 50–69. The dominant beverage is beer. Fifty-five percent of the alcohol consumed in 1995 (measured in absolute alcohol) consisted of beer, which is an increase by 10 percent since 1980. Consumption of wine has also become more popular, while a significant decline in the consumption of spirits can be noted. It was also shown that a substantial amount of the alcohol consumed by the Ålanders was purchased on the ferries that ply the waters between Sweden and Finland.
The low share of abstainers and the relatively high consumption among women are features that characterize the drinking habits on Åland. The wide spread use of alcohol also points to a more open and liberal attitude towards alcohol than in the rest of the country.
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