Limiting the availability of alcohol does not always affect excessive consumption

Between 2010 and 2016, with different policies for the regulation of alcohol availability, excessive episodic drinking decreased in both Nordic and Mediterranean countries. Although the overall average alcohol consumption per capita decreased in Finland, Norway and Sweden, but increased in Malta, Italy and Greece, we observe a decrease in the rates of excessive episodic alcohol consumption in all countries.

Interestingly, countries where total consumption increased saw a greater decline in binge drinking rates than countries where total consumption declined. So, for example, in Italy the prevalence of excessive consumption decreased by 9.7%, in Greece even by 15.1%, and in Sweden relatively less – by 6.1%.

Regardless of the total consumption of society, the indicators of fixed intoxication of minors – 15 and 16-year-olds – have also decreased. For example, if in Finland in 1995, about half of the surveyed young people had not experienced intoxication during the last month, now 87% of young people say so. In Italy, they are 88%, and in this Mediterranean country, the rates of avoiding the intoxication of minors have always been above 80%. Percentagewise, a smaller number of young people in Latvia have consumed alcohol in the last month than in all EU and EU+ countries on average, but almost 90% have never experienced intoxication – a more positive statistic than elsewhere in the EU.

Also, price changes do not affect or have a very minimal effect on the average alcohol consumption per capita

Statistics show that the availability of alcohol – as much as we can afford to buy – has no or very little effect on the average alcohol consumption per capita. If we use the real GDP per capita as an income-adjusted indicator, we see that, for example, alcoholic beverages have become more affordable for Finnish citizens, but the total consumption has decreased; In Malta, availability has increased and total consumption has also increased, but in Italy, as availability decreases, total consumption increases. In Sweden and Norway, where real GDP per capita has grown significantly since 1975, the overall level of alcohol consumption per capita has remained unchanged. Also in Latvia since 2008 there have been periodic changes in the price of alcoholic beverages under the influence of tax policy, but each time they coincide with the overall increase in alcohol consumption per capita.