The total consumption of alcohol provides an exact way to measure the consumption of alcoholic beverages in Finland and trends in consumption. The total consumption of alcohol has been rising sharply throughout the 2000s and is now at an all-time high.
There are a number of factors that contributed to the rise in the total consumption of alcohol during this time, including the abolishment in 2004 of the passenger import quotas for alcoholic beverages brought in from the EU, Estonias EU membership also in 2004, and the fact that excise taxes on alcoholic beverages were cut by a third on average. In 2004, the total consumption of alcohol in Finland rose by nearly 10 per cent, including a rise both in the documented and the undocumented consumption of alcoholic beverages.
In a bid to control the documented consumption of alcohol and the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, Finland raised the excise taxes on alcoholic beverages as of the beginning of 2008, and twice in 2009. The total consumption of alcohol fell slightly in 2008 due to a fall in the documented consumption of alcohol. The total consumption of alcohol continued to fall in 2009.
More information: Marke Jääskeläinen E-mail: firstname.lastname@thl.fi
Source: Consumption of alcoholic beverages 2009. Statistical Report 10/2010. THL.
Figure 1. Total consumption of alcoholic beverages in pure alcohol per capita 1990-2009
Total consumption of alcoholic beverages in pure alcohol per capita (id: 3629 info )
