Lauri Beekmann

NordAN turns 25 as we meet in Riga to look honestly at policy under stress. Budgets are tight, politics shifts, industry pushes, and mental health needs grow. We will compare what holds and what fails, learn from other countries, get ideas, and find contact points. The gap between international promises and national action is real. Our task is to describe it clearly and improve interventions that protect people.

A Finnish government report evaluates expanding wine sales beyond Alko’s monopoly, outlining benefits such as consumer choice and risks including increased alcohol harms. Alko emphasizes maintaining the Nordic retail model, citing significant public health impacts and broad public support for its current system.

Support for wine sales in Finnish grocery stores continues to decline, reflecting tightening public opinion on alcohol policy.