Wines to be sold in small grocery stores.

[TampereOwl]

Great post from Travmies. With regard to drink-driving, can anyone with more experience of rural Finland than me say whether or not it is an accepted part of weekend activities or not? When I lived in Sweden I was asked to drive a couple of times, despite 1) not having a licence and 2) being pretty twatted myself because I wasn't as drunk as the only other driver.

[Karhunkoski]

With regard to drink-driving, can anyone with more experience of rural Finland than me say whether or not it is an accepted part of weekend activities or not?

It is not accepted, however some dregs of society will drive anyway, without licence, without insurance and drunk. There are many random breath tests, they are well organised and efficiently run (hats off to the poliisi).

Even 15 years ago, I remember us always having nominated sober drivers on a weekend (usually young ladies who had just passed their driving test and wanted the driving experience), who ferried us between bars.

[Hank W.]

The reason these places don’t really exist as a norm, is because there is no tradition for it,

Well because "alcohol is bad" and if you go to the pub you are an alcoholic publicly. "Regular people" as in "keeping up appearances" don't go to the pub to drink beer because "neighbours would speak".

[TampereOwl]

Fair enough, karhunkoski. I'm not sure my friends were 'dregs of society' exactly, I was certainly surprised to be asked by them.

[Travmies]

Well because "alcohol is bad" and if you go to the pub you are an alcoholic publicly. "Regular people" as in "keeping up appearances" don't go to the pub to drink beer because "neighbours would speak".

That nothing. When I have been doing some DIY the man in the local electic shop knew what colour I painted the bedroom. So, whatever I do someone will talk about it..

[Karhunkoski]

Fair enough, karhunkoski. I'm not sure my friends were 'dregs of society' exactly, I was certainly surprised to be asked by them.

Oh. Sorry, i was referring to the dregs that live around here (in reply to your question about "rural Finland"). I wasn't referring to your experiences in Sweden.

[mCowboy]

I say do it... let everyone have easy access to cheap booze... and let all the drunks drink themselves to death... much cheaper on the gov't on the long run and less whinos in the parks....

Plusses:
- drink themselves into an early grave = less pension required (see Russia)

Minuses:
- less tax raised on alcohol sales - less tax = less jollies for the politicians
- less income taxes collected, alkies often end up unemployed and on state handouts
- time off work lowers workplace productivity
- medical care as they approach a messy end with liver failure etc.
- without societal pressure, I reckon plenty of Finns would take you up on your offer = half the population getting pissed in the park.

On balance, your suggestion is not a good one.

For a change.

So what's your suggestion? As a local boy you know Finnish psyche inside out and can offer a viable solution, right? RIGHT?

- Less tax? Are you sure? As it has happened with the income tax, the lowered taxes have paid themselves back many times over due to increased buying power. In this case the reduced taxes would be compensated by the volume of sales.
- Alkies are already unemployed.
- Alkies are not off work temporarily, they are off for good -> leaves vacancies for unemployed -> less employable unemployed (the unemployable unemployed are alkies etc)
- Introduce a fee for alcohol related diseases (ie self inflicted) in Health Centers
- The societal pressure is TO DRINK EVERY WEEKEND, as for someone who drinks an odd beer occasionally, pretty much all my life I've been questioned why I'm not getting pissed every weekend. It's not the price that leads people to drink, it's many other cultural, societal, geographical and historical reason.

Hey local boy, yet another insightful view on Finnish society, shows your understanding and knowledge... well done

[TampereOwl]

No worries, I wasn't taking offence. 'dregs of society' is pretty much how I regard drunk drivers, but my reasons for declining were more to do with a fear of wrapping someone's dad's expensive Volvo round a tree than being incapable, although I undoubtedly was.

[sammy]

So, whatever I do someone will talk about it..

It's The Neighbours

[sinikala]

So what's your suggestion? As a local boy you know Finnish psyche inside out and can offer a viable solution, right? RIGHT?

My suggestion is to not implement your suggestion. and for good measure

Tip of the day ... adding makes people (by that I mean me) think you're a twunt.

- Less tax? Are you sure? As it has happened with the income tax, the lowered taxes have paid themselves back many times over due to increased buying power. In this case the reduced taxes would be compensated by the volume of sales.

This one is open for debate, I don't have figures at hand, and can't be arsed to type a long discussion. So for the sake of brevity... can everyone please imagine that I typed a concise and witty reply which concludes that you're talking bollocks, again.

- Alkies are already unemployed.

Again, not true, I know a number who manage to hold down a steady job. And I am sure there are at least some people I know who are alcoholics, yet I don't know that they are. I bet more than one person you know is an alcoholic without you having a clue about it.

- Alkies are not off work temporarily, they are off for good -> leaves vacancies for unemployed -> less employable unemployed (the unemployable unemployed are alkies etc).

I hope that made sense to you.

- Introduce a fee for alcohol related diseases (ie self inflicted) in Health Centers.

Pretty hard to implement in Finland, don't you think.

- The societal pressure is TO DRINK EVERY WEEKEND, as for someone who drinks an odd beer occasionally, pretty much all my life I've been questioned why I'm not getting pissed every weekend.

Really? I was asked a few times at university why I wasn't drinking, but that's about the only time. Perhaps you associate with the wrong crowd? As somone who doesn't drink beer even occasionally, I can't say I've ever felt peer pressure and England is supposed to have as much of a "drinking culture" (contradition in terms), as this country.

- Hey local boy, yet another insightful view on Finnish society, shows your understanding and knowledge... well done

What is it with this "local boy" bit? For clarification I wrote something like, "for all intents and purposes I was local", not the same thing.

In summary ... I give up Cowboy, you've got me, I'm not Finnish, how could I possibly know anything about Finland and Finns, or issues such as alcoholism. I bow to your superior knowledge about everything, you are a genius, I should have spotted this earlier.*

*Part or all of this may be sarcasm - you come across as a weapons grade knob-jockey.

[otyikondo]

...and it suddenly became very quiet, and all the animals of the greenwood backed away in trepidation and covered their eyes and ears with their paws (hey, not so hard, they gots four paws) as the two big bucks faced off under the broad oak tree, snarling and snorting and shaking their antlers...

Film at eleven. Popcorn, anyone?

[mCowboy]

What is it with this "local boy" bit? For clarification I wrote something like, "for all intents and purposes I was local", not the same thing.

In summary ... I give up Cowboy, you've got me, I'm not Finnish, how could I possibly know anything about Finland and Finns, or issues such as alcoholism. I bow to your superior knowledge about everything, you are a genius, I should have spotted this earlier.*

Just because you lived here for a few years don't make you an expert on the matters, especially since you just criticize everyone else's comments and do not offer any solutions yourself. Just because you're British, not all your comments are clever and witty, far from it really... instead of trying to shell out allegedly witty and sarcastic comebacks, you come across as a miserable old git, who takes aim at anyone who tends to disagree with you. So instead of being a James Blunt, why don't you give it a rest for a while...

[sinikala]

not all your comments are clever and witty, far from it really... instead of trying to shell out allegedly witty and sarcastic comebacks, you come across as a miserable old git, who takes aim at anyone who tends to disagree with you.

Practice.

What.

You.

Preach.

BTW, no for once, well done.

[mCowboy]

not all your comments are clever and witty, far from it really... instead of trying to shell out allegedly witty and sarcastic comebacks, you come across as a miserable old git, who takes aim at anyone who tends to disagree with you.

Practice.

What.

You.

Preach.

BTW, no for once, well done.

At least I try to offer my POV instead of just shooting from the bushes and saying that it's all crap... very constructive...

[Hank W.]

So I guess some people were abidextrous in university

Young adults in Europe deliberately binge on drink and drugs to improve their sex lives, research suggests.