When tides turn: how does drinking change when per capita alcohol consumption drops?

Abstract

Purpose: A period of first increasing and then decreasing alcohol consumption in Finland in the 2000s offers an opportunity to scrutinize how population-level changes stem from varying developments in different population subgroups and drinking patterns. We examine 1) whose consumption changed in terms of age, sex, and level of consumption, and 2) how drinking patterns changed and whether the changes indicated steps toward a more Mediterranean drinking style.

Material and methods: The main data source was the Finnish Drinking Habits surveys of 2000, 2008, and 2016 of the general Finnish population aged 15–69 years (n = 6703, response rates 59–78%).

Results: Before 2008, consumption increased particularly among women and Finns aged 50+. After 2008, abstinence became more frequent and regular drinking less frequent. Additionally, heavy episodic drinking decreased, especially among men and in younger age groups. However, compared to earlier, similar levels of the volume of alcohol consumption did not result from a more Mediterranean drinking style, i.e. consuming smaller quantities more frequently. Finnish men continue to report very high maximum drinking amounts. The changes in both periods occurred as collective changes across the whole continuum of consumption from light to heavy drinkers.

Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate that during the period of decreasing per capita alcohol consumption, both the frequency of drinking overall and of heavy episodic drinking decreased, but heavy episodic drinking is still prevalent.

Keywords:

• Drinking patterns
• drinking culture
• heavy episodic drinking
• survey
• collectivity
• per capita alcohol consumption
• change

Statement of ethics

The FDH survey was ethically evaluated and approved by the ethical committees of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL and of Statistics Finland.

Author contributions

PM designed the study with input from JH. JH and PM both performed analytical calculations. PM wrote the first manuscript with input from JH who also critically revised it. Both authors accepted the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The survey data collection was partially funded by Alko, the Finnish state-owned alcohol retail monopoly, which reports to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and is obligated by the law to operate with a social and health policy objective. Alko has no role in the content of research reports nor a possibility to affect decisions on publication.

Additional information

Funding

Juho Vainio Foundation [ref. 202100409], Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and partial funding to data collection by the Finnish state-owned alcohol retail monopoly. Alko has no role in the content of research reports nor a possibility to affect decisions on publication.