Finnish policy on alcohol availability and consumption is outlined up to the Alcohol Act of 1995 which allowed advertising and made alcohol more widely available. The author then describes a study of the development of drunken driving after the Act and examines the changes in psychosocial mechanisms behind the problem. Statistics are presented for the consumption of alcohol and drunken driving between 1985 and 1996. The results of a survey of drivers are then discussed covering aspects including a) attitude to safety, b) attitude to the law, c) effect on other family members, d) social pressures and e) dependence on the use of own car. Two sets of results are given, for drunk drivers and sober drivers. The results show a slight increase in drink driving in the first year.
Samenvatting