Economist David Sundén argues that the alcohol market should be opened up to competition and private actors should be given the opportunity to sell alcohol in the same way as Wine.
the Article, and the ESO’s report that are referred to, based on a number of hypotheses which completely ignores the vast empirical evidence available in the research regarding alcohol, public health and the impact of social policy measures. A type of market-liberal fundamentalism that is based on what the economist Richard Thaler (2017 years prize in economics in memory of Alfred Nobel) call for the fiction of ”econs”. A fictional marknadsmänniska that based on the information available in each moment take hyperrationella decision. A fiction that very few believe in, and that would be catastrophic if it got an ounce of influence on the transcription of the alcohol policy.
This counts for the early deaths due to tobacco and alcohol as a socio-economic profit and loss of pleasure at the reduction in alcohol consumption as a loss. It is a theoretical and dangerous reasoning that I strongly oppose.
An example of the extreme position is the reasoning around the social costs and market failures. This counts for the early deaths due to tobacco and alcohol as a socio-economic profit and loss of pleasure at the reduction in alcohol consumption as a loss. It is a theoretical and dangerous reasoning that I strongly oppose.
But to immerse myself in the detail I want to point the following broad objections:
• the Article and the report ignores the extensive research in this area, also in the countries mentioned in the article. One of the most comprehensive examples is a meta-study from the USA ( Effects of Alcohol Retail Privatizationon Excessive Alcohol Consumption). Based on 17 studies found that privatization led to a relative increase of the consumption of alcohol by an average of over 44 per cent. The recommendation, based on empirical evidence, were to refrain from further privatisation and liberalisation.
• In Sweden, meant the decision to allow the sale of medium beer in the food trade in 1965 to a sharp increase in the use of alcohol. It, in turn, led to a panicky retreat and a ban that entered into force on 1 July 1977, an action that had a clear effect in the form of reduced human suffering as well as reduced alcohol-related social costs.
In one respect, I share David Department liberal market paradigm: If a market is liberalised, as will the private operators, the main driver being increased sales and profit. Those who doubt the logic can compare with the games ‘ reklamoffensiv in connection with the gaming market omreglerades at the end of last year.
It is about birth defects, forgotten, and troubled children, accidents, violence, insecurity, illness, absence due to illness, depression and suicide. The reality must be alkoholpolitikens starting point. Not, economic theories and liberal market experiments.
