Finland rejects culture of alcohol and cigarettes

by Letizia Orlandi - 2013.06.28

Adolescents in Finland are drinking and smoking less than before. The percentage of habitual smokers in the 14-18 age group has fallen to 12%, from 25% in 2001. In the same age group, 29% of people say they don't drink alcohol – a record number for the past 30 years. This is all down to the increase in alcohol and cigarette prices, as well as the government ban on advertising alcoholic drinks and tobacco in public places, including images of beer at bus stops. There have also been more stringent controls in shops, where it's against the law to sell alcohol and tobacco to anyone under the age of 18 and retailers are also obliged to ask anyone under the age of 30 for ID. As of 2012, shopkeepers were also required to keep cigarette packets hidden from view. This is a satisfying result for the government in Helsinki, based on recent data from the University of Tampere.

Tabagism . Published in Alcoholism