Post
by Travmies » Fri May 09, 2008 11:47 am
There are many folds and shades that define Finnish drinking or alcohol culture and its problems in regard to Finnish society. If we look beyond the Friday bottle, excessive binge drinking amount the youth and the obvious health risk from alcohol, just to name a few, we can see a profile appearing of Finnish culture, which seems to be negative, extremist and excessive, when the generally the personality of the country is more so the opposite. Much of the alcohol cultural perspectives does exist and is a real problem, such as the drinking styles and the need to demonise alcohol, however they exist in the realms of history, black and white ideologies regarding alcohol and force hope that abstinence in the home will help.
Just look at the reasons why people drink? To get drunk, to forget, to relax, to be braver with girls / women, to be more confident, to meet people, to chat with friend, to socialise, to reduce stress and so on. However, in Finland the prime objective (and I am generalising here) is to get drunk. The idea that alcohol can be a positive aspect of ones life in is regarded as an anomaly, because the mindset of Finnish culture is “Alcohol is bad”. I am sure we have all had that look from the Alko staff when we have been to Alko more than once in a week.
However, if we consider where people drink in Finland? It is at home, in someone else’s home, in the park or in a pub. Now, this is where the main part of the problem lays. Most European countries have what we could call a pub culture / bar culture where every village has a local place of worship (I mean a pub / bar and not a church), now I know many will argue that in Helsinki and other larger cities a pub culture exists. Nevertheless, it is still rare to find a pub culture steeped in personal and local history, where individual know that there will be a social atmosphere, built on old friends and good beer. The reason these places don’t really exist as a norm, is because there is no tradition for it, every new pub that opens outside the big city uses the same format. Big screen TV, cheap beer, cold atmosphere, toilets with no paper, individuals sitting in there own places, and a generally unwelcoming place. These place alienate the mid-classes and women (whom have the residue income to spend), because the place is so macho and uninviting that its not a nice place to socialise with friend on a weekday evening. Then the pub is shocked because they are out of business in 6 month, because they are empty most of the week. Then another owner takes over and does the same again, but I guess in a way that is a tradition.
So where can people learn to drink responsibly? Nowhere is the truth. In most of Europe to take one first drink with ones father is a tradition, a journey towards being an adult or a right of passage. It comes in the form of a glass of beer or wine at Christmas or a pint after the football. So, how would Finland see this form of social education, well lets go back to the concept the “Alcohol is bad”. What parents in their right mind would teach the children something, which within ones society is considered bad. The problem is that drinking responsibly means drinking while ones children can see, educating them towards a responsible way of drinking. If they see from an early age that drinking is a positive and enjoyable activity if done in moderation, they will pass that experience and responsibility onwards.
As for the alcohol monopoly (Alko) in Finland, it is just another force hope that control of the individuals drink will bring a healthier society as well as getting easy taxes out of the Finnish people. Soft taxes always works, but it’s unwittingly created a secret and private alcohol needy society hither to providing Finland with alcoholism.
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.Dream on...Matti Heikkilä...The new director of the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health. Not only calls for Wines to be available in food shops but he wants price reductions.
