Norwegians may have a slightly different drinking culture. Many people like to have a couple of glasses in the evening or with food. But in addition, we often have this root wetting at the weekends, which comes on top of it all. Sara Døscher is a wine reviewer in VG. In addition, she has written books about wine, she holds courses about wine and makes both podcasts and TV. But Døscher misses the nuances of the alcohol debate. The wine reviewer believes that a recommendation not to touch alcohol creates unnecessary stress for many. – I think young people should learn about alcohol as early as in secondary school, for example in connection with food and health subjects. There is no mention of alcohol before they fall into the Russian era. And then they sort of have to find out everything themselves, she says. – Can go on a mega-bang The sale of alcohol in Norway increased dramatically from 1990 to 2008. Much of this is precisely due to the sale of wine, but not solely. More and more liquor stores were established, and the invention of the three-liter cardboard wine certainly played a role. Sommelier and author Sara Døscher believes that if you get a more conscious relationship with your own taste, you can also become more aware of what you actually drink. Photo: NTB From 2010 to 2015, total consumption fell somewhat. But when the corona struck, consumption skyrocketed again. In 2021, the average consumer bought 7.44 liters of pure alcohol. These figures come from Statistics Norway and FHI. Wine reviewer Døscher thinks parents are wise to talk to their children about alcohol. – In my mind, it’s like that if you keep something a secret for a long time, say it’s dangerous and keep it away from children, then it can become very interesting when they suddenly come of age and decide for themselves. Then they can go on a mega-bang. – But if you make it uninteresting, leave the wine on the table in connection with meals, then it will not be as mysterious and exciting. Should pupils in secondary school learn about alcohol in food and health subjects? Yes that would be nice! No, this does not belong in school. Show result Thinks it is difficult to stop Community debater, comedian and writer Sofie Frøysaa (34) has realized that there are several reasons to drink. Countless reasons, really: – It’s perfectly fair to want a little break from everyday life which is full of boring chores. Growing up is so fucking boring. A lot of the time anyway. She thinks it’s about the need to give herself a little breathing room. – But the problem is that many people, myself included, find it difficult to stop. You never hear anyone say that tonight I’m going to be the breeze. It’s usually about getting fucked. The social debater agrees with VG’s wine reviewer Døscher. She believes that knowledge contributes to prevention and more informed choices. Some might claim that it will lead to more drinking, but Frøysaa thinks that it is quite the opposite. – To compare with sex education: some are against children learning about sexuality, the body and boundary setting early, but then research shows that teaching about this is preventive in terms of sexual harassment, abuse, shame and sexual ill health. Sofie Frøysaa has good tips for those of you who want to drink less: Take a white month, and tell your friends about this in advance. If someone wonders why you don’t drink, then answer with the same coin: Why do you drink? Photo: Josias Dein – To challenge me Sofie Frøysaa says that she herself had to learn to like and drink. Yes, you read that right: To learn, as if it were an exam she had to take. It happened roughly like this: It was the end of school after tenth grade, and Frøysaa was at a home-alone party. The last day of school was over, and soon everyone would go their separate ways, live their lives, maybe never see each other again. She got a beer in her hands, and tipped the bottom of the bottle up. – Many people drank, and so did I. It tasted really bad. I drank to tough myself out, and probably pretended it tasted good, she adds. During the corona pandemic, a record amount of alcohol was sold in Norway. This is a level the government wants to do something about. Photo: Falch, Knut / SCANPIX Not scientifically proven It is not the case that Norwegians are not aware of what the use of alcohol can lead to. That it is not good for health. And according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is apparently no lower limit. In January this year, they came up with their conclusion: Alcohol is harmful from the first drop. – This is not easy, says senior researcher Jørgen Bramness at the Institute of Public Health (FHI), who is also a professor at UiT – the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø. – When you make health recommendations, you are easily considered to be a moralist. One who takes the joy out of it all. He takes a short break: – It just shows how sensitive the topic is. People actually already know all this. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, can cause respiratory problems and lead to dementia. People actually have a bit of a guilty conscience when they drink, he says. Bramness says that VG’s wine reviewer has no scientific basis for saying that young people should learn about alcohol at school, if the purpose is to reduce alcohol consumption. This is a point of view she shares with many, says the researcher, but points out that there are no facts to suggest that the claim holds water. – Nor can I say that she is wrong, he says and adds: – The little knowledge we have tells us that the more restrictive we are, the less use it is. Nor do I think that anyone in our society believes that alcohol has been kept hidden and mystified. The belief that information should make young people make more sensible choices seems rather to lead to young people feeling safer and using drugs more often, says the FHI researcher. Jørgen G. Bramness says there is no scientific basis for saying that young people should learn about alcohol at school. Photo: PRIVAT Had several aha experiences Last year, Sofie Frøysaa was host of the online series “Drikkeprat”. There she interviewed famous people about Norwegian drinking culture. There were quite a few aha experiences. – For us, alcohol plays the main role in social life. She thinks it is about the fact that in Norway it is cold outside for about half the year, and that there may be few natural meeting places. – When we first meet, we are shy, and it simply seems as if we lack a collective social competence. We drink to dissolve the mood, and to dare to meet other people. Now the public debater wants people to reflect on their own drinking habits. – I have a clear and conscious relationship with my relationship with alcohol. It didn’t come for free. I have had to take several rounds with myself, and learn the hard way, she says. Frøysaa has noticed that a rising blood alcohol level is not very good for her. It was not least due to her tourette. Drinking alcohol causes more tics. – And then it’s horrible the next day. The anxiety of drunkenness, she says. The Government also has a goal that Norwegians should drink less. They want to reduce consumption by 10 percent. That means a consumption of 5.93 liters or less per inhabitant by 2025.
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Wine reviewer in VG believes secondary school students should learn about alcohol at school – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
