The aim of this paper was to examine which discourses of women that could be found in Swedish policy documents concerning alcohol from the seventies until today. The questions asked were in which ways women’s drinking was described and how these descriptions could be analyzed and understood by critical discourse analysis and gender theory. The results indicated two main discourses, one replacing the other over time. According to the first discourse, most clearly expressed in the official report from the seventies, women were not consumers of alcohol to the same extent as men. Their lower consumption was explained structurally, by referring to restricting sex-roles. The next discourse, beginning in the nineties, discussed women as consumers of alcohol. At the same time differences between male and female consumption was emphasized. This was especially manifested by the fact that reasons for women’s drinking were to be searched for on an individual, mostly psychological, level. Frequently young girls, alcohol and sexuality were associated and alcohol-free pregnancies were declared being one of the priority goals for the alcohol policy. Referring to underlying psychological causes women addicted to alcohol were also supposed to need a different and more extensive type of treatment than men.

abstract: In the fifteen years between the discovery of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in 1973 and the passage of alcohol beverage warning labels in 1988, FAS transformed from a medical diagnosis between practitioner and pregnant women to a broader societal risk imbued with political and cultural meaning. I examine how scientific, social, moral, and political narratives dynamically interacted to construct the risk of drinking during pregnancy and the public health response of health warning labels on alcohol. To situate such phenomena I first observe the closest regulatory precedents, the public health responses to thalidomide and cigarettes, which established a federal response to fetal risk. I then examine the history of how the US defined and responded to the social problem of alcoholism, paying particular attention to the role of women in that process. Those chapters inform my discussion of how the US reengaged with alcohol control at the federal level in the last quarter of the twentieth century. In the 1970s, FAS allowed federal agencies to carve out disciplinary authority, but robust public health measures were tempered by uncertainty surrounding issues of bureaucratic authority over labeling, and the mechanism and extent of alcohol’s impact on development. A socially conservative presidency, dramatic budgetary cuts, and increased industry funding reshaped the public health approach to alcoholism in the 1980s. The passage of labeling in 1988 required several conditions: a groundswell of other labeling initiatives that normalized the practice; the classification of other high profile, socially unacceptable alcohol-related behaviors such as drunk driving and youth drinking; and the creation of a dual public health population that faced increased medical, social, and political scrutiny, the pregnant woman and her developing fetus. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Biology 2016

Tax-setting policy belongs to the main duties of politicians from time immemorial. Since those times, people are questioning whether politicians, while setting taxes, are pursuing mainly interests of publi or their own. In this thesis, I am studying this question in the industry of alcoholic beverages, regulation of it's consumption and production. I am using two statistical models, simple model of partial equilibria and AIDS model (Almost Ideal Demand System), to estimate own price elasticity of demand for beer, wine and spirits in selected post-soviet countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russian Federation. Linear model with mixed effects is estimated to uncover the strength and direction of dependency of alcohol policy on own price elasticity of demand for alcoholic beverages in the above mentioned countries. Results show, that politicians of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lithuania and Russian Federation set the alcohol policy in accordance with maximization of tax revenue hypothesis, while Latvians seems to be rather vote maximizers. I have expected the politicians in Baltic states to behave similar and also least populistically from studied countries. But my expectations were not fulfilled.

This diploma thesis deals with alcohol policy in relation to risk group of youth. The aim of the thesis is to identify the development and setting of this policy in the Czech Republic. Another objective is to identify strengths and deficits of alcohol policy and to suggest possible improvements based on good example of foreign practice and interviews with experts. The theoretical background is the concept of risk behaviour, the life course perspective and the concept of public health. The methods of desk research and expert survey are used to fulfil the objectives of the thesis. This was realized in the form of semi-structured interviews, which were subsequently analyzed by thematic content analysis. The thesis reveals the failures of alcohol policy at various levels. In the thesis are identified functioning and failing institutions and (based on a good example of foreign practices and experts) a new necessary institution is proposed. There are also shown the causes of alcoholism which has proven to be essential in policy-making proces for youth. In the last part of thesis, experts evaluate nine policy measures, the most suitable of them are the regulation of advertisement, availability and price of alcohol. At the same time, practice of some measures is also shown on specific examples of...

This master thesis focuses on the impact of alcohol on families if one of the parents is addicted looking through the lens of the theoretical concept of AHTO. To fulfil the research goal I chose a literature review then followed up qualitative interviews with experts from the ranks of social and health services workers and OSPOD. According to the interviewed experts, forms of AHTO appear in families as follows - relationship problems, psychological damage (distrust, feeling helpless, low self-confidence, guilt, shame, rejection or not acknowledging the seriousness of the situation), financial difficulties, domestic violence. Then, in the case of children, mental harm, attention deficit disorders, parentification, worsened academic results, relationship problems, parental or alcohol rejection. Experts most often encounter solutions strategies such as control, negotiation or playing on emotions, threats, trying to help, trying to solve the situation of an addict, downplaying the situation, hiding the situation, rejecting a person. Experts recommend other evidence-based strategies for family members to deal with the situation and what I can do, not make false promises, reject alcohol but not a person, set boundaries and barriers, understanding addiction as a disease, offering help to an addict. The...

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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present study stems from a concern with the possible occurrence of alcohol abuse on a university campus. The major focus is an exploration of the drinking habits of mostly undergraduate students. An adequate understanding of the above would simplify the task of the university authorities of formulating a relevant alcohol policy and action plan. The survey involves a self-completion questionnaire. The data analysis concentrated on Pearson's correlations and chisquare tests. Significant relationships between the level of alcohol use on the one hand and gender, residence, language, other substance abuse, sport participation, religion, moral values, and sexual activity on the other hand was found. Finally a profile of high-risk, heavier drinking students are provided. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die huidige studie spruit uit 'n besorgdheid oor die voorkoms van alkohol misbruik op 'n universiteitskampus. Die primêre fokus is 'n verkenning van die drinkgewoontes van hoofsaaklik voorgraadse studente. 'n Omvattende begrip van bogenoemde sal die taak vergemaklik van die universiteitsowerhede om 'n toepaslike alkoholbeleid en -aksieplan te formuleer. Die ondersoekende studie behels 'n selfvoltooings vraelys. Die data-analise fokus op Pearson se korrelasies en chi-kwadraat toetse. Beduidende verbande is gevind tussen vlak van alkohol gebruik aan die een kant en geslag, verblyf, taal, ander substansgebruik, sportdeelname, godsdiens, morele waardes en seksuele aktiwiteit aan die ander kant. Laastens word 'n profiel van die hoë risiko, swaarder drinkende studente verstrek.

Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive drug on earth and continues to be responsible for a substantial burden of death and disability. Mitigating these harms is an important focus of any healthful society. Population-level alcohol policy strategies may be employed to decrease these harms and improve population health. To assist towards these goals, this dissertation has two research objectives relating to the estimation and mitigation of alcohol harms: (1) to complete a series of studies regarding the Alcohol Total Consumption Model (TCM) and (2) to specify and test a novel alcohol health harms estimator and alcohol policy scenario modeler, the International Model of Alcohol Harms and Policies (InterMAHP). The TCM is an important theory in alcohol studies and connects alcohol policies, per capita alcohol consumption and alcohol-attributable (AA) harms in a unified social theory. In brief, policies are expected to reflect on population-level consumption, which in turn is the most important predictor of alcohol harms. The TCM theorizes that change should flow directionally through the model – a policy expected to decrease consumption would be predicted to decrease alcohol harms. This theory has been critical towards informing alcohol control policies in the past five decades. In this dissertation, a series of studies were conducted to test the assumptions of the TCM, to test their continued viability. Study A is a comprehensive systematic review and series of meta-analyses that established the link between alcohol policies influencing day/hours of sale and outlet density and per capita consumption. Study B is a primary research study that examined the direct effect of a changed alcohol policy on alcohol-related ED visits, in the context of Saskatchewan. Studies C and D establish the link between alcohol consumption and AA mortality and morbidity through mathematical specification of InterMAHP. Next, the model was applied to the exemplar of AA mortality in Canada in 2016. Last, Study E extended InterMAHP functionalities to include modeling changes in AA harms expected from potential or realized per capita consumption changes resulting from policy change. An application was provided in the context of Québec. The results of this dissertation research provide some support, in a modern context, to the relationships defined in the TCM. The findings suggest that the TCM continues to be a largely appropriate conceptual model in consideration of alcohol policy-making. InterMAHP provides global alcohol researchers with a novel model towards estimating the health harms of alcohol. / Graduate / 2020-04-09

The aim of this study is to describe and analyze how Bolaget, a paper published by the Swedish alcohol monopoly retailer Systembolaget, constructs issues of alcohol in 18 preventive articles published between 2009 and 2012. More specifically the essay focuses on the consequences of alcohol, as well as its consumers and functions. Systembolaget is a distributor of alcohol and at the same time has an assignment by the state to reduce alcohol-related harm. This double role makes the alcohol prevention of Systembolaget, and their perspective on consequences, consumers and functions of alcohol, an interesting object of study. The theoretical and methodological basis is Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis. The results show that a medical expertise is given the power to define the problems of alcohol. This has implications for the field of social work since it suggests that alcohol problems are mainly of physiological concern. Regarding drinking behavior, sobriety and moderation are two competing discourses; both are portrayed as desirable. Men’s and women’s drinking is problematized differently. A hegemonic discourse on gender, in which men and women are constructed as essentially different and men constitute the norm, is reproduced.

This diploma thesis deals with the media representation of alcohol and its excessive consumption on Czech Television as a public service broadcaster. It also focuses on ways to regulate alcohol in the form of behavioural nudges which can be used both within alcohol policy of the Czech Republic in general and the broadcasting of Czech Television. The thesis identifies not only possibilities of using the nudge theory, which can have a beneficial effect on human decision making, but also interprets media framing used for representation of alcohol on Czech Television. Alcohol is portrayed within Czech Television programmes as well as within TV commercials, therefore a case study dealing with alcohol advertising broadcasted on Czech Television was added to the analysis. The analytical part of the thesis was created on the basis of a qualitative framing analysis and with the aid of desk research I revealed the possibilities of nudging both in alcohol policy and in the Czech Television broadcasting. Above all, this thesis emphasises the fact that the framing process has a significant position in human decision making, and that is why it's necessary to pay adequate attention to this process in alcohol policy making.