Breytingar á neyslu áfengis og annarra fíkniefna á Íslandi

Abstract

A brief account is given of changes in the consumption of alcohol and other drugs in Iceland, especially in recent years, according to official records on the sale of wine and spirits and published studies of the consumption of other drugs among young people. The alcohol consumption has increased gradually since the repeal of the prohibition in the early twenties and especially in the mid-thirties and was 4.5 liters per person 15 years and older in 1984, plus 0.5 liters which were imported taxfree. The production and sale of beer containing more than 2.25 volume% alcohol is prohibited in Iceland although tourists and personnel in international transportation are allowed to take beer instead of one half of other taxfree liquors. The total consumption per person has remained relatively stable during the last 12 years while the sales of strong liquors have decreased with a corresponding increase in wines. In recent years the number of restaurants licensed to serve alcohol has increased very markedly and the number of liquor stores has increased somewhat. This increased outlet has probably kept up the total consumption during the period 1983-85 in spite of a reduced index of purchasing power during these years. During the last 15-20 years the consumption of other drugs has increased, especially among young people, although that consumption is negligible in comparison with the consumption of alcohol. The increase in the consumption of other drugs is reflected in the increased number of patients with such diagnoses in the Department of Psychiatry at the National University Hospital in 1984 compared to that in 1980.

Gerð er stutt grein fyrir þróun neyslu áfengis og annarra fíkniefna á Íslandi, sérstaklega á síðari árum, samkvæmt opinberum skýrslum um sölu áfengis og rannsóknum annarra á fíkniefnaneyslu ungs fólks. Áfengisneyslan hefur aukist jafnt og þétt síðan bannið var afnumið og var orðin 4,5 lítrar á mann 15 ára og eldri 1984, að viðbættum 0,5 lítrum sem voru fluttir inn tollfrjálst. Á síðustu 12 árum hefur heildarneyslan aukist lítið, hlutfallið milli neyslu sterkra vína og veikra hefur breyst þannig að hlutur veikari vína hefur aukist. Á allra síðustu árum hefur vínveitingastöðum fjölgað mjög mikið og áfengisútsölum nokkuð. Þessi fjölgun kann að hafa stuðlað að því að heildarneyslan minnkaði ekki með minnkandi kaupmætti á árunum 1983-5. Á síðustu 15-20 árum hefur borið meira á neyslu annarra fíkniefna en áður, einkum meðal ungs fólks, þó að sú neysla sé lítil í samanburði við áfengisneysluna. Sýnt er hvernig notkun annarra fíkniefna kemur fram með samanburði á sjúkdómsgreiningum þeirra sem leituðu til geðdeildar Landspítalans 1980 og 1984.