The Nordic alcohol monopolies - shops with the exclusive right to sell most alcoholic beverages in Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands - have contributed to relatively low alcohol consumption and reduced harm from alcohol in the countries concerned, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday 3 February.
According to the WHO, alcohol consumption levels in the European Union have remained largely unchanged for more than a decade, “making it the sub-region with the highest consumption levels globally”. The EU is currently unable to meet global and regional targets for reducing alcohol consumption, says the WHO.
The WHO/Europe report entitled ‘Nordic alcohol monopolies: Understanding their role in a comprehensive alcohol policy and public health significance’ (https://aeur.eu/f/fbr ) highlights a model from which other EU countries could learn.
According to Carina Ferreira-Borges of WHO/Europe, countries with state monopolies have lower per capita alcohol consumption than the EU average and generally have lower rates of alcohol-related harm. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)