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>Resent-date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 05:42:26 -00
>From: Sidsel Eriksen <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: drinking around the world: Denmark, in particular
>Sender: Kettil Bruun Society <[log in to unmask]

>[discussion prompted by discussion of new minimum ages for purchasing
alcoholic drink, 15 in Denmark, if I recall correctly-DMF-
>
>Just a comment to the discussion on the particular high Danish alcohol
consumption.
>
>Apart from earlier regulations on alcohol production and consumption in
Denmark
>primarily for commercial reasons, Danish alcohol policy  has traditionally
- at least since
>the heavy taxation imposed on ‘snaps’ in 1917 and followed up by tax on
beer in the
>1920'th - been based on the states regulation on prices. Therefore the
Danish alcohol
>consumption has been relatively low - in periods even lower than the
Swedish - until
>the end 1950'th. Average consumption raised especially after 1972, when
Denmark
>became a member of the (European Communities) European Union. Since then
Danish
>alcohol consumption has been - very - liberal and high, because the impact
of the
>imposed tax has weakened when people earned more money. It is possible to
talk about
>a conscious - or even calculated - revitalisation of a Danish
pretemperance drinking
>culture (as described in the article on ‘The Making of the Danish liberal
Drinking Style’,
>in Contemporary Drug Problems Spring 1993.)
>
>Now Danes drink a average of 11-12 l. pure alcohol pr. person over 14 a
year. This
>level of consumption has been relatively constant in the last 10 years.
Even in 1992
>when the tax on beer was reduced to a remarkable low level, it did not
result in a rise
>in beer consumption. And now everyone is talking about the brewers having
problems
>because of a decline in beer consumption  in Denmark.
>
>Something has happened within the last 10 years in Denmark. Alcohol
culture has
>changed. The Danish population has become much more aware of alcohol
problems in
>the public discourse. Items which could not be discussed in the decenniums
of 1970
>and 1980  now is looked at as a part of the responsible welfare state.
For example the
>Health Department in the last 10 years every autumn has had a campaign
with various
>alcohol related themes in the media. And it has suddenly become usual that
industries
>and state institutions develop ‘an alcohol policy’ to reduce drinking and
alcohol
>problems at the working places. (Beer has pr. tradition been available on
Danish
>working places, and a reduction of this situation would previously had
caused problems
>with the unions). And an other example is that in the main television
series at 20.00
>sunday nights at the state television 1 the leading actor has become a
successful and
>active member of AA.   The new political initiatives can of course be
interpreted as a
>states responsible respond to a ‘dangerous’ alcohol culture. But an other
interpretation
>is, that Danes are witness to a sort of self regulation of alcohol culture
- a new dry
>period promoted by health issue but not least by the fact, that the
symbolic effect of wet drinking style has become less attractive. And this
new trend makes a dryer alcohol policy possible.  But still - these
>new dry initiatives is commented in the public with apologetic expressions
for example
>when a mayor commented a proposal on reducing pubs in the Copenhagen and
Aarhus,
>the two Danish main cities:   ‘we do of course not want to make Denmark a
Swedish
>prohibitionist state, but perhaps a regulation of the number of pubs could be
>appropriate.’ /Sidsel


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