The “Swedish model” of dealing with alcohol problems: historical trends and future challenges

Abstract

The paper describes and analyzes the development of prevention and care of alcohol problems in Sweden, from the emergence of the temperance issue as a public concern at the turn of the 19th century to the economic and ideological changes that seem to challenge the “Swedish model” of dealing with alcohol problems 100 years later. By applying an analytical model that transcends the common “badness-illness” dualism and provides a bridge between a social-political and a clinically oriented perspective, an attempt is made to relate the historical succession of dominant approaches to alcohol problems to the changing roles of the welfare state. The paper concludes by discussing the future prospects in Sweden of the type of community approach to handling alcohol problems that was first launched at the beginning of the century in Ivan Bratt's pioneer work but still awaits a major breakthrough in practice.