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Prevention of alcohol abuse

Studies and analyses

  • We monitor the situation of alcohol consumption through regular surveys:    

- Health Behaviour among the Estonian Adult Population Survey

- Health Behaviour among School-aged Adults in Estonia (HBSC)

-European School Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD)

  • We measure the availability of alcohol to minors through mystery shopping surveys
  • Every year we publish an annual booklet "Alcohol market, consumption and harms in Estonia"
  • See all the survey reports on alcohol or search for data in the health statistics database

Health promotion and prevention

  • Contributing to legislation and Influencing health policy
  • Contributing to creating a supportive environment for health in communities, children's institutions and workplaces
  • Working with schools to implement the VEPA Behavioural Skills Game, which supports pupils' mental health and helps prevent risky behaviour later in life
  • In cooperation with municipalities, developing and implementing the parenting programme "The Incredible Years". The programme helps parents to develop parenting skills and thereby prevent a range of behavioural and health problems, including alcohol use.

Services

  • Developing and funding an early detection and counselling service for alcohol misuse
  • Developing and funding a treatment service for alcohol use disorder
  • Contributing to the development and implementation of a treatment manual on the treatment of patients with alcohol use disorders.
  • Developing a service for screening and early intervention for young people with substance abuse problems
  • Managing and developing the online self-help programme "Selge"

Training and outreach activities

  • Organising campaigns and developing information materials on the prevention of alcohol abuse (under the "Soberer and Healthier Estonia" programme)
  • Managing the websites alkoinfo.ee (on alcohol use), tarkvanem.ee (on parenting) and the terviseinfo.ee (health information) portal for health professionals
  • Producing and publishing methodologies, publications and guidance materials for terviseinfo.ee professionals
  • Organising training for alcohol use disorder treatment service providers,family doctors and nurses on early detection and counselling of alcohol misuse
  • Disseminating evidence-based information to decision-makers, opinion leaders and policy makers
  • Organising conferences and seminars on alcohol harm reduction

Activities and targets in the area of alcohol reduction are agreed in the Population Health Development Plan 2020-2030.

The activities will be partly implemented within the framework of the European Social Fund's programme "A Soberer and Healthier Estonia".

Our activities are based on the principles endorsed in the Green Paper on Alcohol Policy.

Green Paper on Alcohol Policy (pdf, 3.95 MB)