As elsewhere, people in Norway avidly consume mind-altering substances. Most stick to the legal ones – alcohol, caffeine and nicotine – but illegal drugs are increasingly sought-after. The reasons are as intractable as the human quest for intoxication is universal.

The result, as elsewhere, has been private and public dialogue on alcoholic drink, drugs and tobacco. Caffeine, the most popular substance, seems peripheral, perhaps because it is regarded as being the ingredient of a foodstuff, though it is included on the list of banned doping agents in sports.

The climate is principally prohibitionist, with good reason: mind-altering substances, legal and illegal, are known to harm individuals and families, and thereby create social problems. Yet liberal voices argue that suppression, like the prohibition of the early 1920s, is unworkable.

Aside from the extremes, the opposing opinions have met in the present middle ground. Even some temperance organisations now speak of restraint, not total abstinence. And liberal voices admit that though its prices are high, the State wine and spirit shops probably are beneficial, not least because the tax revenues they generate help deal with problems associated with alcohol consumption.

And there has been progress: overall alcohol consumption is low, no more than a quarter of the adult population smokes, and narcotics problems are generally less extensive than those elsewhere.

On the legal consumption side, there’s equal cheer. It’s as easy to buy a bottle of wine or spirits at a Vinmonopolet shop in Oslo as it is, say, at a LCBO shop in Ottawa, another northern capital city. Cigarettes and other tobacco products are widely sold, though not from vending machines. And coffee arguably is the national drink.

Alcohol consumption (Forbruk av alkohol)

In the statistical terms of equivalent litres of pure alcohol consumed, Norway’s figure of 4.4 litres per year per capita is low, 22nd place in Europe. Even when increased by 25 to 30% to account for smuggling, home brewing and tourist import, alcohol consumption is about half that in Ireland, Romania, Portugal, Spain, France or Germany, the six leading consumers in Europe. Alcohol consumption is less than it has been in past years, though towards the end of the 1990s it began to rise. Drinking habits are changing, in step with increasing internationalisation. Since the late 1990s, wine sales have gone steadily up, while distilled spirits sales have steadily declined. Moreover, alcohol is becoming more readily available. In 1980, close to half of the country’s 454 municipalities had no shops licensed to sell alcoholic drink and 91 municipalities were completely dry, with neither sales nor serving of alcohol. In 2004, only two of the country’s 434 municipalities had no licensed shops and none were completely dry. For further information and statistics on consumption, see the most recent edition of the annual report, Rusmidler i Norge, Alcohol and Drugs in Norway, published by the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research.

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Service (Rusmiddeletat)

The City of Oslo’s Alcohol and Drug Addiction Service funds and coordinates the work of 38 public and private institutions and services for alcoholics and drug addicts. The services provided include:

• outreach services and street-corner contacts
• rehabilitation in 15 units
• care in eight units, mostly for elderly clients
• special services for women
• harm reduction to help users develop self-care and harm-reducing skills
• low-threshold clinics for medical services and health advice centres for drug users, including dispensaries for clean injection equipment
• a Methadone programme at two locations
• a Competency Centre for prevention programmes, information campaigns and continuing education and innovation
• support via an addiction helpline, Tel: 08588.

For further information, contact the head office, Pilestredet 27, 0164 Oslo, Tel: 23427100, Fax: 23427180, www.rusmiddeletaten.oslo.kommune.no, postmottak®rme.oslo.kommune.no

Alcohol and Drug Control Authority (Avdeling rusmidler, Sosial- og helsedirektoratet)

The Alcohol and Drug Control Authority implements principal parts of governmental policy on alcoholic beverages and drugs, including granting and supervising alcoholic drink production and wholesaling licences, enforcing the Alcohol Act, granting and monitoring import and export licences, administering and allocating public grants for NGOs involved in preventive work, conducting public information campaigns and producing and distributing reports and other information. For further information, contact the head office, Universitetsgt 2, PO Box 8054 Dep, 0031 Oslo, Tel: 24163000, Fax: 24163001, www.rusdir.no, post@rusdir.no.

Alcohol and drug dependence (Alkohol og stoff misbruk)

According to estimates made by public and private organisations, about one in 25 adults is dependent on alcohol, medicinal drugs or illicit drugs. In alphabetical order by their names in English, the principal organisations dealing with alcohol and drug problems are the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Service (Oslo), Alcoholics Anonymous, Bergen Clinics Foundation, Marita Foundation, Narcotics Anonymous, Phoenix House, Tyrili Foundation, Union of Drugfree Youth and Vang Centre.

Alcohol percentages in drink (Alkoholprosent i drikk)

Alcoholic drink is subject to taxes based on its content of equivalent pure alcohol, so all drink is labelled. Wine, fortified wine and spirits are taxed by stated percentages, whilst beers are taxed by percentage classes (see Table 10).

Alcoholics Anonymous (Anonyme alkoholiker)

Alcoholics Anonymous is the international organisation that helps alcoholics cure themselves; in Norway there are some 165 groups in 20 districts across the country, some English-speaking. To find a group, look under Viktige telefonnummer in the White Pages of telephone directory or contact the head office, PO Box 205 Sentrum, 0103 Oslo, Tel: 22468965, Fax: 22468177, www.anonymealkoholikere.no, informasjon@anonymealkoholikere.no.

Anti smoking (Mot tobakkskadene)

There are two private anti-smoking organisations:

• The Anti Smoking Injury Association (Landslaget Mot Tobakkskadene, LMT), which is part of the Norwegian Cancer Association, PO Box 4 Sentrum, 0101 Oslo, Tel: 22866600, www.kreftforeningen.no.
• Smoke-free Environment Norway (Røykfritt Miljø Norge), an independent group that is a member of the European Union of Non-Smokers (Union Europeenne des Non-Fumeurs), PO Box 8701 Youngstorget, 0028 Oslo, Tel: 22111253, Fax: 22111984, www.roykfrit.no, roykfritt@roykfritt.no.

The two organisations jointly publish a quarterly newsletter, “Smoke-Free” (Røykfritt), with news and overviews of restaurants and other public places where smoking is banned, principally in Norwegian with extracts and reports to sister organisations in other countries in English.

Beer sale (Salg av øl)

Beer up to 4.75% alcohol is sold in almost all supermarkets and bottle shops selling beer, soft drinks and juices. The sale of beer is governed by local authorities, so the facilities for and the hours of sale vary across the country. Typically, a supermarket will have a drink department with bottles stacked on pallets or in cooler displays, the beer slightly apart so it may be cordoned off by heavy curtains, locked after the legal last sale hour for the day, often 7 pm.

Bergen Clinics Foundation (Stiftelsen Bergensklinikkene)

The Bergen Clinics provide narcotics treatment and counselling for addicts and their families and conducts research, Vestre Torggate 11, 5804 Bergen, Tel: 55908600, Fax: 55908610, www.bergenclinics.no.

Illegal spirits (Spirit)

Unregistered consumption of spirits, legally brought in by travellers, legally distilled but illegally smuggled, or illegally distilled, amounts to some 25 to 30% of the spirits volume legally sold by the Vinmonopolet shops. In a survey conducted in 2003 by the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research, about half the people surveyed admitted that they were willing to buy illegal spirits if offered.

Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research (Statens institutt for rusmiddelforskning, SIRUS)

SIRUS is a governmental research institute that studies and provides information on alcohol and drug issues, with emphasis on their social impact. Starting in 2002, it also conducts research on the social impact of smoking. The Institute has a staff of 35, of which 22 are research scientists, and is located in downtown Oslo, Øvre Slottsgate 2B, 0157 Oslo, Tel: 22340400, Fax: 22340401, www.sirus.no, sirus@sirus.no. In addition to its domestic activities, it is the country’s centre for interaction with the EU’s European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Rua da Cruz de Santa Apolónia 23-25, PT-1149-045 Lisbon, Portugal, Tel: +351 218113000, Fax: +351 218131711, www.emcdda.int, info@emcdda.eu.int.

Marita Foundation (Maritastiftelsen)

The Marita Foundation is a Christian organisation that aids addicts and prostitutes, Holstsgt 6, 0473 Oslo, Tel: 22045400, Fax: 22045410, www.maita.no, marita@marita.no.

Minimum ages (Aldersgrenser)

The minimum age for buying or selling is 18 for beer, wine or tobacco and 20 for spirits.

Narcotics Anonymous (Anonyme narkomaner)

Narcotics Anonymous is the international organisation that helps drug addicts cure themselves. There are groups across the country and the national helpline, Tel: 90529359 (5-9 pm) provides support. For information, contact the office, PO Box 5257 Majorstua, 0301 Oslo, www.nanorge.org, telefontjenesten@nanorge.no.

Narcotics consumption (Forbruk av narkotika)

Compared to alcohol and tobacco, the consumption of narcotics is minimal. Moreover, the figures on it are imprecise, principally because narcotics are illegal. Nonetheless, there are several indicators of its extent. Though most people in the country have never tried narcotics, opinion is becoming more liberal, seizures of narcotics have risen as has narcotics-related crime. The narcotics problems in cities are now filtering into the countryside, and overdose deaths are rising.

Cannabis remains the most popular narcotic, accounting for more than four of ten seizures. It’s also the most widespread, as it has been seized in all the country’s police districts. Benzodiazepines, such as Rohypnol, are the second most popular narcotic, accounting for nearly one seizure of five. Amphetamine-type stimulants account for one seizure of seven. Use of the opiates, principally heroin, varies but is rising, mostly in the Oslo area, the centre for intravenous users. Ecstasy use also varies and in an average year accounts for about one seizure of 25. LSD has never been popular, though it has tended to follow trends in Ecstasy use. Likewise, cocaine never has been popular, probably because it is expensive. Gammahydroxybutyric acid (GHB), a former legal drug classified as a narcotic in 2000, accounts for less than one half of one percent of all seizures.

The number of young people trying narcotics has nearly doubled, from around 10% in 1990 to nearly 20% today. Likewise, opinion surveys among the young show an increasing acceptance of narcotics.

For further information and statistics on consumption, see the most recent edition of the annual report, The Drug Situation in Norway, published by the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research.

Phoenix House (Veksthuset)

The Phoenix House in Oslo is modelled on the Phoenix House in London and is a non-profit drug abuse community providing treatment for adult addicts, Sognsvannsveien 21, 0320 Oslo, Tel: 23427700, Fax: 23427701, www.veksthuset.no.

Prohibition (Forbud)

In 1921, prohibition was enacted to prohibit the sales of fortified wine and spirits, on the basis of a referendum held in 1919. It was short-lived. The producing countries understandably were displeased with the loss of sales to Norway, from which they bought dried fish. The economic squabbles were hard for Norway, which then was in a recession. The difficulties were resolved when prohibition was repealed, first in 1923 for fortified wine and then in 1926 for spirits. With these two repeals, a State-owned monopoly, Vinmonopolet, took over all sales of wine, fortified wine and spirits.

Quit smoking (Røykeavvenning)

The Tobacco Control Authority operates a helpline, freephone Tel: 80040085, and publishes various aids, such as 10-day and 12-day diaries to help smokers quit, in Norwegian only. Pharmacies (apotek) stock several types and brands of quit-smoking preparations, such as Nicorette nicotine chewing gum intended to replace cigarettes and thereby ease withdrawal from smoking.

Sales of beer, wine and spirits (Salg av øl, vin og brennevin)

Each year, nearly 240 million litres of beer are sold by food shops, supermarkets and bottle shops, some 95% of it medium (less than 4.75% alcohol) beer. When sold in ordinary shops, strong beer (over 4.75% alcohol) accounted for one bottle of 10 sold. But after 1993, when it could be sold only by Vinmonopolet, sales dwindled, and now strong beer accounts for only one bottle of every 200 sold.

Each year, Vinmonopolet sells about 62 million litres of wine, fortified wine, spirits, alcopop and strong beer. By volume, wine is the leader, selling some 48 million litres, curiously mostly red. While wine consumers in the UK buy red and white in equal amounts, and Sweden’s Systembolaget sells three bottles of red for every two of white, Vinmonopolet shops sell seven bottles of red for every two of white.

The smoking law (Røykeloven)

The smoking law and its associated regulations are intended to limit the damages to health caused by the smoking, snuffing, sucking or chewing of tobacco products. The principal provisions are as follows:

• Advertising is banned, both direct – as for tobacco products, pipes, cigarette papers and cigarette rollers – and indirect, as for other products bearing the brand names of tobacco products.
• Mandatory health warnings on packaging as well as concise statements of the tar and nicotine yield of cigarettes.
• The minimum age for buying tobacco products is 18.
• Vending machine sale of tobacco products is prohibited.
• No smoking on public transport vehicles or in facilities for public use, including cinemas, theatres, shops, public offices, schools, restaurants and other eating places.
• No smoking in areas of workplaces frequented by many persons, including public service facilities, rooms where two or more persons work and all corridors, stairwells, toilets and lifts.

The complete law and extracts from it are available in print and online, in the original Norwegian and in English translation, from many sources, including the Tobacco Control Authority and the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research.

Taxes (Avgifter)

Aside from VAT, which applies to all consumer goods, the taxes on alcoholic drink are NOK 5.44 per centilitre alcohol in spirits, NOK 3.55 per centilitre alcohol in wine and fortified wine, and NOK 3.38 per centilitre alcohol in beer. These tax rates correspond to NOK 163 on a bottle of 40% spirits, NOK 32 on a bottle of wine and NOK 8 on a half litre of beer. The taxes on the most sold tobacco products are NOK 34.80 on a 20-pack of cigarettes and NOK 48.00 on a 40-gr pack of Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco.

Temperance organisations (Avholds organisasjoner)

Some 26 temperance and guidance organisations, including the Blue Cross (Chapter 33) and IOGT (Chapter 34), are collected under the panoply of Actis policy network, Torggata 1, 0181 Oslo, Tel: 23214500, Fax: 23214501, www.actis.no, actis@actis.no.

Tobacco consumption (Forbruk av tobakk)

About one in four adults – both women and men – smoke regularly. At the present average price of NOK 62 a pack, a one-pack-a-day smoker spends NOK 22,630 a year on cigarettes.

Tobacco Control Authority (Avdeling tobakk, Sosial- og helsedirektoratet)

The Tobacco Control Authority supervises parts of the legislation on tobacco and implements governmental tobacco control initiatives. It cooperates with other organisations, including NGOs involved in preventive work, trade unions and health providers. For further information, contact the head office, Universitetsgt 2, PO Box 7000 St Olavs plass, 0130 Oslo, Tel: 24163000, Fax: 24163001, www.tobakk.no, post@tobakk.no.

Tyrili Foundation (Tyrilistiftelsen)

The Tyrili Foundation is an independent organisation working with drug abuse, particularly with teenagers and also with prisoners in the Pathfinder programme; it has a centre and living communities, Sverres gt 4, 0652 Oslo, Tel: 23123600, Fax: 23123651, www.tyrili.no, post@tyrili.no.

Union of Drugfree Youth (Ungdom mot narkotika)

The Union of Drugfree Youth encourages young people to say no to drugs on their own account and now has local groups across the country, Torggata 1, 0181 Oslo, Tel: 23310090, Fax: 23310091, www.umn.no, umn@umn.no.

Vang Centre (Vangseter)

The Vang Centre is a private rehabilitation facility for alcoholics, 2323 Ingeberg, Tel: 62598400, Fax: 62598017, www.vangseter.no. It works closely with the Hazelden foundation, C03, PO Box 11, Center City, MN 55012-0011, USA, Tel: +1 6512134000, Fax: +1 6512134411, www.hazelden.org.

Vinmonopolet

As in some other countries, alcoholic drink is sold only in State shops. In Scandinavia, only Denmark does not have State shops: Sweden has Systembolaget with 420 shops and 590 local agencies, Finland has Alko with 317 shops and 140 order points, and Norway has Vinmonopolet with 188 shops; see Vinmonopolet shops (Chapter 40). The name Vinmonopolet – literally “wine monopoly” – reflects its establishment as a monopoly at the end of prohibition. For years, it was the sole importer, wholesaler and retailer of wine and spirits. In 1996, following a decision by the EFTA Surveillance Authority, it kept its retail monopoly but split off its import and wholesale monopoly into a private sector company, Arcus, which in turn competed with other private companies. For further information, contact the Vinmonopolet Information Centre, Dronning Maudsgt 1, PO Box 1944 Vika, 0125 Oslo, Tel: 04560, Fax: 23015009, www.vinmopolet.no.

WHO FCTC

Norway was one of the first countries to sign the World Health Organization Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) that went into effect in February 2005. WHO FCTC sets international guidelines for pricing, taxing, advertising, sponsoring, labelling, passive smoking and other aspects of smoking.