Explaining change and stasis in alcohol consumption

Abstract

The term ‘saturation’ has often been used when alcohol consumption in a region stays the same despite there having been reason to expect an increase, e.g. after a decrease of taxation. However, the term ‘saturation’ has been used only descriptively, and in different ways. We therefore propose a wider-ranging framework for understanding and explaining trends in alcohol consumption, illustrating the operation of the factors with historical or contemporary examples. In the framework, we include not only taxes and other alcohol controls, but also situational and other norms on drinking and intoxication, competing responsibilities and attractions that demand or favour sobriety, structural changes, external influences and the range of societal or cultural responses to alcohol problems.

• Alcohol consumption trends
• saturation
• availability
• norms
• societal responses
• long waves