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Basic drinking patterns are examined with regard to sociodemographic correlates for the years 1984/1986 and 1990/1992 by a secondary analysis of data from representative samples of the former West German general population. Data come from the National Health Survey of the German Cardiovascular Prevention Study in which the former West German non-institutionalized general population aged 25–69 years was sampled through multistage probability methods. In 1984, 91% of West Germans were drinkers, 16% were daily drinkers, and 8% consumed a mean of 60 g or more of ethanol per day. These figures decreased slightly but significantly by 1990. Despite a downward trend in consumption between 1984 and 1990, Germany remains a 'wet' culture.

With the noticeable growth of Alcoholics Anonymous since its founding in 1935 has come the tendency to regard the organization as a social movement. This article analyzes Alcoholics Anonymous as a social movement, specifically as a new social movement, and draws upon new social movement theory for the analysis. A particular strand of new social movement theory, the identity-oriented paradigm, is applied. The analysis reveals that Alcoholics Anonymous shares several key features with new social movements. Alcoholics Anonymous can be seen as a partial social movement, or a movement network submerged in civil society. Although "hidden," it serves as a distinct social and cultural force because of what it offers in addition to abstinence: an alternate interpretation of reality to that of the utilitarian/rationalist perspective, which has traditionally dominated American thought.

<i>Objectives:</i> This paper examines changes in alcohol-related harm in Denmark between 2003 and 2005 after changes in alcohol policies were introduced between 2003 and 2005. <i>Methods:</i> Interrupted time series analysis was performed with data on violent assaults and hospitalisations for acute alcohol intoxication from 2003 through 2005. <i>Results:</i> A 26% increase in the number of acute alcohol intoxication hospitalisations among people aged 15 years and younger was detected after the tax reduction on spirits. No significant increase in violent assaults and acute intoxication among adults was found. <i>Conclusions:</i> Even modest alcohol price policies can affect more vulnerable population sub-groups such as under-age youth. Policy makers should consider such consequences when forming economic policies that also have public health implications.

<i>Aims:</i> This paper examines changes in alcohol consumption in Denmark between 2003 and 2006 after the excise tax on spirits in Denmark was lowered by 45% on October 1, 2003 and travelers' allowances for the import of alcohol were increased on January 1, 2004. <i>Methods:</i> Cross-sectional and panel data from Denmark from 2003 to 2006 were analyzed. Samples were collected by telephone interviews using random digit dialing. <i>Results:</i> Panel data for Denmark revealed that alcohol consumption remained relatively stable. Similar results were found in the Danish cross-sectional data. It appears that 'substitution' rather than increased importation occurred. <i>Conclusion:</i> We found no evidence to support earlier research stating that decreased prices and increased availability is related to higher alcohol consumption. This could be partly because (1) Denmark has reached a 'saturation' level of consumption over the past 30 years and (2) the survey mode of data collection did not capture specific subpopulations who might have increased their consumption. It may be necessary to examine other indicators of alcohol use or alcohol-related harm in order to fully assess the consequences of such changes in alcohol availability.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The year 2020 was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Policy responses to COVID-19 affected social and economic life and the availability of alcohol. Previous research has shown an overall small decrease in alcohol use in Denmark in the first months of the pandemic. The present paper focused on identifying which subgroups of individuals had decreased or increased their consumption. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> Data were collected between May and July 2020 (<i>n</i> = 2,566 respondents, convenience sample). Weights were applied to reflect the actual Danish general population. Variables included the pre-pandemic alcohol consumption, change in alcohol consumption in the past month, socio-demographics, and reported economic consequences. Responses to a single item assessing changes in alcohol consumption in the past month were classified as no change, increase, or decrease in consumption. Regression models investigated how changes in consumption were linked to pre-pandemic drinking levels, socio-demographics (gender, age groups, education), and reported economic consequences. <b><i>Results:</i></b> While 39% of participants reported decreased consumption levels and 34% had stable levels, 27% increased consumption. Characteristics associated with changes in consumption were associated with both increases and decreases in consumption: younger people, those with higher consumption levels before the pandemic, and those with lower education more often both reported increases as well as decreases in consumption. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusions:</i></b> We confirmed that more people decreased rather than increased their alcohol consumption in the first few months of the pandemic in Denmark. Characteristics associated with changes in consumption such as younger age, higher consumption levels, and lower education demonstrated a polarization of drinking since these were associated with both increases and decreases in consumption. Public health authorities should monitor alcohol use and other health behaviours for increased risks during the pandemic.