Sammendrag
Alcohol related harms and problems are of many kinds and affect many people and often severely. To curb the extent of such harms and problems is therefore an important task. This report addresses the most important interventions in this respect within a Norwegian context. Drawing on an extensive international research literature and knowledge about Norwegian alcohol policy we attempt at addressing the following questions: What is the evidence of effectiveness of various interventions to curb alcohol consumption and related harms in the population? Are the interventions effective in particularly significant groups (youth) and heavy drinkers? What are the ‘side effects' of the interventions? To what extent are effective interventions employed in Norwegian alcohol policy? Has the use of policy measures in Norway changed over time, and are there measures that should be employed to a larger - or lesser - extent?
Studies that have evaluated educational strategies such as media campaigns and school based programs have generally not demonstrated any effects with respect to alcohol use or related harms. Measures directed at preventing drinking-driving (i.e. lowered BAC limit, random BAC testing, sanctions for drinking-driving) are shown to be effective in reducing traffic crashes. Moreover, there is good evidence that screening and brief intervention in primary health services are effective in reducing alcohol consumption among at-risk drinkers. Evaluations of certain interventions at licensed premises have also shown promising results.
Regulating price and availability of alcohol has proved to be effective not only with respect to alcohol sales but also the extent of alcohol related harms. This means that higher prices and more restrictions on availability are accompanied by less alcohol sales and less harms, in the general population as well as among youth and heavy drinkers. Many interventions that are effective in curbing the extent of alcohol related harms are elements in Norwegian alcohol policy. By employing high alcohol prices, significant restrictions on availability and marketing of alcohol, and restrictive drinking-driving counter-measures Norway has been rated as having the most effective alcohol policy among 30 OECD countries. Thus, the potential to further enhance prevention of alcohol related harms does not seem to lie in intensifying these restrictive measures, but rather in other areas of interventions. Two types of interventions seem particularly relevant in this respect; interventions in licensed premises and screening and brief intervention in primary health services. Finally, some further important research tasks in this area are addressed
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