BlackRain
07-20-2004, 10:00 AM
Cheaper liquor could cause Finnish *** crime increase: police
Finland has registered a significant increase in *** crimes since it cut duties on hard liquor in March in order to curb competition from neighboring Estonia, police said on Monday.
In the first half of 2004 police received some 860 reports of ****** abuse and rape, compared to 721 in the same period last year, said Tuija Hietaniemi, senior researcher at the National Bureau of Investigation.
"When we compared these crimes, we noticed that there is an increase in crimes where heavy drinking is involved," she told AFP.
Higher alcohol consumption appeared to be behind the increase in *** crimes, Hietaniemi said.
There have also been more reports of domestic violence and drunk driving incidents following the 33-percent tax cut on alcohol in March, intended to curb "alco tourism" to Estonia after the Baltic state last May joined the European Union, of which Finland is a member.
Typically a bottle of vodka in the Estonian capital Tallinn costs only a third of the price in Helsinki.
Due to the lower alcohol duties Finns' average alcohol consumption is expected to grow by nearly a third to some 12 liters (25 pints) of pure alcohol this year, according to estimates.
Finnish Finance Minster Antti Kalliomaeki told reporters this month the government might consider canceling the lower alcohol tax if it receives positive proof that lower alcohol prices had led to more crime.
Finland has registered a significant increase in *** crimes since it cut duties on hard liquor in March in order to curb competition from neighboring Estonia, police said on Monday.
In the first half of 2004 police received some 860 reports of ****** abuse and rape, compared to 721 in the same period last year, said Tuija Hietaniemi, senior researcher at the National Bureau of Investigation.
"When we compared these crimes, we noticed that there is an increase in crimes where heavy drinking is involved," she told AFP.
Higher alcohol consumption appeared to be behind the increase in *** crimes, Hietaniemi said.
There have also been more reports of domestic violence and drunk driving incidents following the 33-percent tax cut on alcohol in March, intended to curb "alco tourism" to Estonia after the Baltic state last May joined the European Union, of which Finland is a member.
Typically a bottle of vodka in the Estonian capital Tallinn costs only a third of the price in Helsinki.
Due to the lower alcohol duties Finns' average alcohol consumption is expected to grow by nearly a third to some 12 liters (25 pints) of pure alcohol this year, according to estimates.
Finnish Finance Minster Antti Kalliomaeki told reporters this month the government might consider canceling the lower alcohol tax if it receives positive proof that lower alcohol prices had led to more crime.