Greenland: Expert recommendations to form the basis for future alcohol policy
- Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network
- Oct 7
- 3 min read
07.10.2025 - The Government of Greenland has just submitted expert recommendations for a multi-year, evidence-based alcohol policy to the Parliament of Greenland. The recommendations are intended to form the basis for a broad political agreement on alcohol policy, which can set the framework for continued work on a long-term and sustainable alcohol policy.
The recommendations have been prepared on the basis of a decision by the Parliament at the spring session in 2023, where the Parliament instructed the Government to prepare a solid knowledge base for combating alcohol misuse.
The Government wants the recommendations to form the basis for a statement of principles and intent on the development of a national alcohol agreement. Such an agreement should ensure a long-term and cross-cutting framework for a targeted and sustainable alcohol policy.
“I would like to extend a special thanks to the many professionals who have contributed to the development of the expert alcohol recommendations. We have a strong professional foundation, which gives us the opportunity to take responsibility and create a sustainable alcohol policy that protects our children and strengthens our society. It is now time to turn knowledge into action, and this must happen together so we ensure a long-lasting policy in this area,” says the Minister for Health and Persons with Disabilities, Anna Wangeheim.
“For several years, children and young people across the country have called on us adults to ensure them a safe and good childhood and hope for the future. Much of the neglect that children and young people in our society experience is linked to families being affected by the harmful consequences of alcohol. With recommendations for a multi-year, evidence-based alcohol policy we help to create hope and, not least, to fulfil the wishes of children and young people for a childhood where no child is harmed by alcohol,” says the Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Mads Pedersen.
The expert recommendations are based on professional and research-based knowledge and have been prepared independently of political affiliation. They have been developed under a public health mandate, which means that the primary goal is to improve the population’s health and well-being.
The work on the recommendations is anchored as an initiative under the public health programme Inuuneritta III. The recommendations focus in particular on protecting children from a childhood marked by substance problems, violence and abuse, and on breaking the cycle of social disadvantage.
The recommendations take their starting point in Greenlandic conditions and values, and are also based on WHO recommendations for evidence-based and cost-effective alcohol policy, as well as experience from other Arctic regions.
The recommendations contain four key areas of action and 18 concrete proposals. The professional assessment is that an alcohol policy based on the recommendations could deliver quick and noticeable gains, including higher life expectancy, less violence, fewer suicides, and better well-being among children and young people.
The work on the recommendations has been led by the Ministry of Health in close cooperation with the Centre for Public Health in Greenland and WHO/Europe. The development of the recommendations took place in broad collaboration with other ministries, agencies and sectors, and with wide involvement of relevant stakeholders, including citizens and municipalities.
A public consultation showed that there is generally broad support for the recommendations, although with several reservations from the business community. A questionnaire survey among 315 adult citizens shows that participants generally support implementing measures that can help reduce alcohol-related harm in society.
