Estimates of harm associated with changes in swedish alcohol policy: results from past and present estimates

www.fhi.senational institute of public health The overarching goal of Swedish alcohol policy has been to restrict the physical and economic availability of alcohol. This has been accomplished mainly by high alcohol taxes, a comprehensive alcohol retail monopoly aimed at limiting the scope of private profit-makers and municipal control over licensed premises. Since 1995, when Sweden joined the European Union, several elements of the national policy have been either eliminated or eroded. This report discusses the health and social effects of a reduction in alcohol taxes in Sweden. Lower alcohol taxes have been proposed as a means to reduce large private imports from neighbouring countries with considerably cheaper alcohol. The underlying problem confronting Swedish alcohol policy is the free flow of alcohol across borders in the European Union. This indirectly forces down excise duties in EU member states that until now have used alcohol taxes as a public health measure to reduce the burden of alcohol-related harm. The health consequences of this policy are considerable, as demonstrated in this report. Report R 2005: