Cheaper alcohol reflected in increased public drunkenness
"People drinking strong spirits like beer"
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The consequences of the sharp cuts in retail prices of alcohol are a cause for concern among Helsinki health officials.
Kari Viitala, a doctor working at the city's "sobering-up station", which helps people who have seriously overindulged, says that the number of people treated at the facility has risen by as much as 35% over last year.
"The impact of the price cuts was seen immediately on the first of March, which happened to be a Monday. Now the figures for Mondays are twice as high as they were before", Viitala calculates.
The most striking change is that overindulgence no longer seems to be restricted to certain days of the week.
"It used to be that the early part of the week was quiet, and the number of patients grew toward the end. Now the early days of the week are almost just as busy", Viitala says. The number of patients who had to be hospitalised for drinking too much had doubled in March.
Viitala’s facility is located next to the large police lockup at the Töölö Sports Arena. About 40% of the patients come from hospitals, and the same amount are brought directly by ambulances or the police. Less than 10% are brought from homes.
Some of the patients suffer injuries after drinking too much, while others have been found passed out. For some patients, their overall state of health requires immediate medical attention.
Viitala reports one considerable change: there seem to be fewer meths drinkers than before. "Perhaps it is an indication of greater prosperity", he ponders.
Viitala says that the greatest problem caused by the price cuts in March is the rising consumption of strong spirits. He says that people now drink hard liquor like they used to drink beer.
"Most of our customers are among the down-and-out crowd, but now there has been an increase in other groups. For instance, there are more elderly people aged 70 to 80", Viitala says. He notes that binge drinking by the elderly is usually linked with divorce, or the death of a spouse.
Typical patients at the station are heavy drinkers with an average age of 45. Women account for about one quarter of patients. Occasionally they will get young people who overindulge the first time they experiment with alcohol.
Patients are treated at the station for about nine hours on average.
"When a patient comes here, we first make sure that he or she is breathing, and check if there are signs of cerebral haemorrhage or similar conditions. This is a full-service facility providing meals, a possibility to wash, de-lousing, laundry, and even new clothes", Viitala says.
Viitala cannot say how much of an effect increased personal imports from Estonia will have. However, he does note that some patients are brought to the station after passing out in the harbour.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 5.5.2004 - TODAY |
 Cheaper alcohol reflected in increased public drunkenness |
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