The Directorate of Health wants to ban wine in boxes

Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix

The Norwegian Directorate of Health wants to ban large wine cartons and believes that this will reduce Norwegians’ alcohol consumption. The Government believes the proposal is not relevant.

“If you have an opened three liter wine box in the cupboard, it is easier to pour a glass of wine than if you had to open a bottle,” says Public Health Director Linda Granlund in the Norwegian Directorate of Health for NRK.

The Directorate points out that alcohol is a risk factor for several diseases and believes it will lead to lower consumption if Vinmonopolet does not sell the large packages.

  • “We have seen what Australia did, they sell maximum one liter sizes. It reduced their alcohol intake quite a lot, and it is worth looking at their experiences,” says Granlund.

The proposal is promoted in a report commissioned by the Ministry of Health before submitting a new public health report.

Corked
However, the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s wish is, however, blankly rejected by the Minister of Health and the People, Åse Michaelsen (Frp).

  • “It is completely out of the question for the government to ban wine in a box. There will therefore not be a ban on this in the public health report,” says Michaelsen to NTB.

Health policy spokesman in the Conservative Party, Sveinung Stensland also responds to the publisher, and thinks it reminds most of a guardian state.

  • “The proposal is corked and it should be dried. We must have legitimacy for such a strict alcohol policy, but it must not be overlooked that we become to look like a guardian state,” says Stensland.

Box of wine for holidays
“Last year, boxed wine accounted for 42 percent of Vinmonopolet’s turnover. In particular, a lot of cardboard wine is sold before holidays and vacations,” says Communications Manager Jens Nordahl in Vinmonopolet. He does not believe a ban will cause a decline in wine consumption.

“We believe that this will lead to a sharp increase in the sale of bottled wine, and we also believe that border trade will increase,” he says to NRK.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

2 Comments on "The Directorate of Health wants to ban wine in boxes"

  1. Greg Evans | 25. January 2019 at 08:56 |

    I think the Norwegian Directorate of Health are a bunch of bullshit artists. Are you kidding me my Local Dan Murphy liquor outlet sells Berri Casks 5 Litres cost Australian Dollars $14.99 for 5 litres NOK 91.46 check it out buy 2 then it is 10 litres NOK 173.90 https://www.danmurphys.com.au/red-wine/cask-reds

  2. Joakim Haugen | 25. January 2019 at 11:08 |

    «The Government believes the proposal is not relevant.»

    And the government is correct in this. This is a non issue and it is irrelevant.
    Good job!

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