The Nordic countries share many views and values in relation to alcohol and drug issues, including a clear welfare-policy perspective and the emphasis on joint responsibility.

This means that drug abuse in the Nordic Region is an integrated part of social and health policy, as it is considered to be a problem not only for the individual, but for his or her immediate surroundings and for society as a whole.

The increasing importance of drug and alcohol policy co-operation

Globalisation and increased economic integration have made Nordic co-operation on alcohol and drug issues ever more important. New industries dealing in tobacco, alcohol, gambling, etc. are emerging on the Nordic markets, and illegal drug-dealing is on the rise among new subcultures. Co-operation between the Nordic countries is necessary in order to find solutions to more or less common problems.

Alcohol

The need for Nordic co-operation on alcohol became all-too clear in 2004, when the EU was enlarged and quotas for private import were abolished. Faced with new challenges, the Nordic countries had to choose between different objectives for alcohol policy. There was therefore an increased need to collate and share information about alcohol-policy measures, and this co-operation remains just as vital today.

Drugs

The Nordic countries also have a great deal in common when it comes to drug issues. The Nordic Region is on the periphery of Europe, and to a certain extent this determines which substances are abused.

Attitudes to drug abusers are also different in the Region than in much of the rest of the world. In the Nordic Region, attempts are made to tackle drug abuse through prevention, treatment and damage limitation. In many cases, these methods and the Region's ways of relating to abusers might be considered more humane than those employed elsewhere in the world.

Knowledge

The primary goal of Nordic co-operation on alcohol and drug issues is to collate knowledge and experiences.

Studying alcohol and drug issues in the Region affords us the opportunity to compare our countries both with each other and with countries further afield. In this way, we gain a more accurate picture of ourselves, and also learn from the positive and negative experiences of our closest neighbours.

As a knowledge society, the Nordic Region has a long history of drug and alcohol research. The broad, easily accessible knowledge base provides a solid foundation for researchers and students.

It is therefore easy for individual Nordic citizens to access information about Nordic alcohol and drug issues.

The Nordic Council for Alcohol and Drug Research (NAD) works to spread knowledge of alcohol and drug issues in the Region. Read about the most recent research projects and order publications on www.nad.fi.

The website www.nosam.net publicises news from the Nordic Region on alcohol policy, consumption, marketing, etc. The site is used actively by politicians, civil servants, researchers and practitioners in this area, but also targets anybody seeking information and knowledge online.

International co-operation

Nordic co-operation on alcohol and drugs has produced many positive results. Thanks to this close co-operation, the Nordic Region has also been able to exert an influence on alcohol and drug policy in the EU and in other international arenas.

A united Nordic Region is a stronger region, and is able to exert great international influence. Nordic co-operation is important in order to promote a global approach to alcohol and drug issues and to disseminate evidence-based knowledge.