A noticeable feature of Swedish alcohol politics is the notion of distrust. We are responsible enough to earn a living, pay our taxes, drive a car and vote but put any of us near a bottle of alcohol and we are like pyromaniacs with a box of matches. So the government believes it is its responsibility to protect us from ourselves – make the matches difficult, expensive and shameful to buy.
The temperance movement has its foundations in the north of Sweden and the demonic suicidal drinking practises of the miners and working classes. Jump forward more than 75 years and the paternalistic, protectionist mindset still pervades the governing class. There is no active and legitimate debate about alcohol politics, it is stymied by the temperance lobby and considered a hot potato by the ruling government coalition afraid to alienate the swinging voters and Christian Democrats whose Christmas party must be a rather dull affair.
The anti-alcohol lobby, funded by Systembolaget, provides the only research and insight into public opinion and drinking habits so there is rarely two sides to the debate (not that a debate exists anyway). Debate is an integral part of a democracy and givespoliticians a refresher course on society in 2009.
A new Swedish language survey conducted by Antipodes Premium Wines hopes to shed some light on our members’ drinking habits, opinions on the government’s alcohol policies and also what you think about our service and that of our competitor Systembolaget.
“Not very impartial” I hear some of you whisper – as objective as any other studies done in Sweden on this subject so far, we reply!
We hope you will take the 5 minutes needed to think through and answer this short web survey. At the very least we will use the results to improve our own services and at the most it could provide an informed voice in the muted alcohol politics debate (there is an EU election on June 7 and a national election in 2010!).
Click the link and tell your friends.
Cheers
Mark
