Helsinki
Several Finnish politicians called this week for the reversal of the huge tax cut on liquor that has spurred binge drinking. Finland cut its liquor taxes by 44 percent in March, and since then liquor sales have soared. The tax cut was prompted by fears that, after neighboring Estonia joined the E.U. in May, Finns would simply be able to zip across the Gulf of Finland and buy far cheaper Estonian liquor. Scandinavians already take frequent boat trips to other E.U. countries to load up on cheap alcohol. The E.U. is considering harmonizing liquor taxes across the union in an effort to prevent such “booze cruises.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Netherlands split on WFH for sex workersSpeed Read Councils concerned over 'nuisance' of at-home sex work, but others say changes will curb underground sex trade
-
'He adored Trump, and then rejected him'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
The Thursday Murder Club: who's in the film and what we can expectSpeed Read Author Richard Osman reveals starry cast set to play his 'septuagenarian sleuths'
