Finns believe alcohol home delivery will increase the workload of child welfare services

Photo: Tiuku Pennola

01.10.2024 - According to a survey conducted by several organizations, Finns do not trust that age limits and the ban on selling alcohol to intoxicated individuals can be effectively monitored during home deliveries of alcohol.

More than 75% of respondents to a survey conducted by A-Clinic Foundation, EHYT (Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention), and the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters expressed a lack of confidence in alcohol home delivery services, especially if a law change permits these services through food delivery platforms.

This attitude has remained consistent throughout the year. In a report published by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in February 2024, 45% of respondents expressed no trust in the supervision of home deliveries, and only 6% considered it reliable.

Moreover, over 70% of those surveyed in the recent poll believe that allowing alcohol home delivery would further increase the need for child welfare services.

"It is a misconception that the harms of alcohol use are confined to families with heavy drinkers. Most problems occur in ordinary working families, where issues may not be immediately noticeable from the outside," says Hannu Jouhki, CEO of A-Clinic Foundation.

Child welfare resources are already at their limit

In Finland, child welfare reports were filed for 110,269 children last year – an 11% increase compared to the previous year. This means that every tenth child requires assistance from child welfare services.

"The resources for child welfare are already worryingly insufficient, and they cannot handle further strain caused by increased alcohol availability," says Oona Ylönen, Secretary General of the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters.

Alcohol availability is being expanded – prevention is sidelined

Substance abuse and child welfare organizations are concerned that the government's reform of the alcohol law focuses solely on increasing the availability of alcohol, neglecting measures to prevent alcohol-related harms. The alcohol content limit for beverages sold in grocery stores has already been raised to 8%, and now there is discussion of allowing home deliveries.

"Easing access to alcohol increases its use in society and amplifies the harm to families. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most effective ways to prevent alcohol-related harms are through restrictions on availability, pricing, and marketing," emphasizes Juha Mikkonen, Executive Director of EHYT.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's government program "A Strong and Caring Finland" sets a goal of shifting focus from reactive services towards earlier support and prevention in social and health policies.

However, the government is acting in contradiction to this by cutting funding for three nationally comprehensive substance abuse organizations – EHYT, A-Clinic Foundation, and the Blue Ribbon Association – as well as for the child welfare organization Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters. This threatens to significantly undermine the prevention of substance abuse harms among children and youth, as well as the support provided to families dealing with substance abuse and gambling issues.

Invisible Children – a campaign for children's rights

The Invisible Children campaign by these organizations highlights the impact of alcohol policy on children. It is estimated that 89,000 children in Finland suffer from their parents' substance abuse problems, and alcohol use causes problems in many families with children, who often seek help from services provided by these organizations.

The campaign demands that children's rights be taken into account in the reform of the alcohol law. The organizations are currently collecting signatures for a petition emphasizing the protection of children's rights in Finland's alcohol policy.

What we asked: In August 2024, we asked 1,000 Finns whether they supported the legalization of alcohol home delivery, even if it would increase harm to children, and whether they trusted that age limits and the ban on selling to intoxicated individuals could be effectively enforced. The respondents were all adults, with an equal number of men and women. 10% were aged 18-24, and the remaining age groups were evenly distributed, with each representing between just over 15% and just under 17%. Respondents came from all regions of Finland, except Åland, with one-third being from Uusimaa. The survey was conducted by Bilendi as an online panel survey, where participants responded via a website.

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Source: Ehkäisevä päihdetyö EHYT ry