Movendi: how many votes is a life worth?
- Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network
- Jun 4
- 2 min read
04.06.2026 - Movendi Sweden has issued a sharp statement in response to recent and proposed changes in Swedish alcohol policy. The organisation warns that decisions such as abolishing the food requirement, extending serving hours, introducing farm sales and now Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s proposal to lower the Systembolaget age limit from 20 to 18 risk weakening one of the world’s strongest alcohol policy models. Movendi argues that these changes are being made despite clear evidence that they will increase alcohol-related harm and deaths.
“The government knows that people will die because of this direction. They know the risks of their proposals, but choose to move forward anyway. This is not ignorance, it is a conscious choice,” says Kristina Sperkova, President of Movendi.
On 1 June, the food requirement in alcohol legislation was abolished. The government’s own documentation stated that both alcohol-related harms and deaths would increase as a result of the decision. Since then, proposals have been presented to extend serving hours at major events. Now the Moderate Party wants to lower the age limit at Systembolaget from 20 to 18. Research clearly shows that a lower purchasing age leads to increased consumption and more harm, especially among young people.
Alcohol is one of Sweden’s largest public health problems and costs society more than SEK 103 billion every year. The research is clear that lowering the age for purchasing alcohol generates increased consumption and more harm, especially among young people.
“Our alcohol policy is one of the best in the world, and now the Moderate Party wants to weaken it just to satisfy its own voters,” says Kristina Sperkova, President of Movendi.
Movendi demands that both the government and the opposition stop all further weakening of alcohol policy and instead strengthen the measures that research shows work to reduce alcohol-related harm. People’s lives and health must not be negotiable.
