Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council Policy 1999
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council
Policy 1999
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council was established by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council Act, No. 76/1998 in accordance with the Government’s policy on preventive measures against the abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which was approved on 3rd December 1996. The Council comprises 8 representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister, the ministries of Health and Social Security, Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs, Finance, Social Affairs, Education and Foreign Affairs, and the Association of Local Authorities.
Guiding principles
In its work, the council aims at professionalism and a continual search for knowledge. It bases its work on the findings of surveys and a continual assessment of the results of preventive measures. The council collaborates with all those involved in preventive work, whether they work for public bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or privately, and supports a wide range of activities. In order to assess the effectiveness of these measures, consumption of alcohol and drugs in Iceland will be monitored and a survey will be made of the frequency of alcohol and drug-related problems of various types, e.g. in connection with hospital admissions, criminal offences and drunken driving. Findings will be compared between regions within Iceland and with other localities abroad.
Role
The council is intended to develop and reinforce preventive measures against drug and alcohol abuse, particularly among children and teenagers, and to combat the damaging effects of drug abuse in Iceland.
Future vision
The council will function as the focus of preventive measures against drug and alcohol abuse in Iceland. It will base its work on the latest expertise available, assisting all those involved in preventive work and acting as an accessible database on preventive measures in Iceland.
Principal aims
Long-term aims as defined in law: To eradicate drug abuse in Iceland, and to make a substantial reduction in alcohol consumption, particularly among teenagers.
Priority aim:
Drug-free junior schools
Subsidiary aims:
· To reduce alcohol and drug consumption by young people under the legal age limit for purchasing alcohol.
· To promote drug and alcohol-free leisure activities for minors.
· To ensure that teenagers in need of specialized long-term treatment do not have to wait so long that they suffer damage as a result.
Methods:
Preventive measures should be begun before birth and continued until children reach the age of majority.
Programme for 1999
1. All measures taken by the council are based on the findings of methodical research, and are evaluated in terms of their results.
Attention must be given to the following:
· Surveys of consumption among various age groups.
· Qualitative studies, e.g. of the feelings and well-being of children and teenagers.
· Studies to evaluate project results.
· Studies in progress.
· Collaboration with other public preventive committees and councils, e.g. the Anti-Smoking Committee, the NGOs Slysavarnir barna (Prevent Child Accidents) and Heilsuefling (Health First) and the Icelandic Nutrition Council on how studies are to be carried out.
Agenda for 1999:
· Draw up the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council’s research and study schedule by the end of 1999.
· Complete the ESPAD survey. The Icelandic part of this survey should be complete by June 1999.
· Complete preparation for a survey of consumption among adults by the end of 1999.
· Complete a survey in collaboration with the Nutrition Council by 1st September 1999.
· Evaluate results of local projects that have been completed by the end of 1999.
· Publicise study findings as widely as possible.
2. The council campaigns for public discussion of the influence which parents, nursery school teachers, teachers and others involved in work with children exert on the attitudes of children and teenagers towards the use of alcohol and drugs.
Attention must be given to:
· Publicising the findings of studies on what effects educational activities and the use by adults, particularly parents, of alcohol and drugs, have on whether and when teenagers begin drinking alcohol.
Agenda for 1999:
· Publicise the findings of studies and the policy of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council among parents of children in nursery schools, junior schools senior schools, clubs, youth movements and sports clubs, and in places of work.
3. The council collaborates with health clinics and educational institutions on the formulation of drug-abuse prevention in various areas.
Attention must be given to:
· Staff training, available remedies, staff attitudes and manner and nature of preventive information given.
Agenda for 1999:
· Policy on alcohol and drug abuse prevention at health clinics – covering children’s lives from pre-natal examination until they begin secondary school – should be formulated by the end of 1999.
· A drug-abuse prevention policy for educational institutions – from nursery school to secondary school level, and embracing teachers, educational counsellors and preventive officers – should be formulated by the end of 1999.
· An alcohol and drug-abuse policy for the sports and youth movements should be implemented to ensure:
1. That consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants is not permitted in places where children and teenagers under the age of 18 spend their spare time.
2. That sports trainers and organizers of leisure activities are trained in pedagogical and educational methods.
3. That sports and leisure activity clubs formulate their own drug and alcohol abuse prevention policies.
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3. The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council should have set up an accessible, service-oriented database by the beginning of the year 2000.
Attention must be given to:
· Collaboration with other institutions involved in preventive work – the NGO Fræ and the project Drug-Free Iceland 2002 – and libraries.
· Revise the drug-abuse prevention website before 1st September 1999.
· List libraries and organize work in collaboration with them by 1st September 1999.
4. Revise the allocation rules of the Prevention Fund in the light of the above aims and advertise grants before 1st June 1999.
Report
Government policy on alcohol and drug abuse prevention.
The Government approved a range of preventive measures against abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco on 3rd December 1996. The main elements in this programme of measures are as follows (Ministry of Justice, 1998):
1. The Government’s policy on preventive measures against the abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
2. The establishment of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council
3. Additional funding for preventive measures.
4. Additional funding to improve law enforcement and customs monitoring.
5. Funding to support young people in high-risk groups as regards the use of drugs and alcohol.
6. Collaboration between the state, the City of Reykjavík and ECAD – European Cities Against Drugs – on the project Drug-Free Iceland 2002.
7. Iceland’s ratification of the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 20th December 1988 and the European Convention on the Laundering of, Search for and Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime of 8th November 1990.
The Government’s policy on preventive measures against the abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco states that it has decided to take effective steps to bring about collaboration between ministries, institutions, the law-enforcement authorities, the customs authorities, the local authorities, parents’ associations and other parties on the co-ordination of responses and measures aimed at eradicating drug abuse by children and teenagers and making substantial reductions in their consumption of alcohol and tobacco. One of the priority aims in the period up to the year 2000 is to step up preventive measures, particularly those intended to protect individuals in high-risk groups, to restrict access by children and young persons to alcohol and drugs, to increase public safety by reducing the incidence of drug-related crime and to expand the range of treatment remedies available for young people in need of them.
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council began formal operations on 1st January 1999 under the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council Act, No. 76/1998. It was established in order to develop and reinforce preventive measures against drug and alcohol abuse, particularly among children and teenagers, and to combat the damaging effects of drug abuse in Iceland. The council’s tasks include monitoring the application of legislation and the government’s policy on preventive measures, acting in an advisory capacity to the government and other authorities on preventive measures, making proposals to the minister of Health and Social Security on the allocation of grants from the Prevention Fund, supporting studies in the field of preventive measures and stimulating the publication of informative material on these matters.
The current position
From the earliest times, alcohol has played a part in Icelandic culture. Now, at the end of the 20th century, nearly 90% of Icelanders aged 20 and over drink alcohol. The incidence of alcoholism in Iceland has been recorded in the range 3.5-6.5% (Kristinn Tómasson, 1998; Gylfi Ásmundsson, 1998). Consumption per capita aged 15 years and over in 1997 stood at just over 5 litres of pure alcohol (Statistical Bureau of Iceland, 1998).
Under the law, persons aged under 20 years may neither buy nor consume alcohol. Nevertheless, more than 81% of school pupils in the 10th grade had consumed alcohol according to a survey made of teenage drinking in junior schools (Sigrún Ólafsdóttir and Þórólfur Þórlindsson, 1998; Þórólfur Þórlindsson, Inga Dóra Sigfúsdóttir, Jón Gunnar Bernburg, Viðar Halldórsson, 1998). More than 60% of the teenagers in the survey said they had been drunk and more than 20% said they had drunk alcohol 3-6 times during the 30 days preceding the survey. The use of cannabis by this age group has increased in recent years. In a survey made as part of the project Iceland Without Drugs 2002 in May 1998, more than 16% of pupils in the 10th grade said they had tried cannabis; the figure for the previous year was 13%. A smaller number had tried other drugs. Most of the evidence indicates that alcohol consumption precedes the use of other drugs and intoxicants. Only 1% of patients who seek treatment in connection with drug abuse in Iceland do not drink alcohol. A fairly wide range of illegal drugs and intoxicants is available in Iceland: illegally distilled alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy tablets and amphetamines, and the environment in which teenagers drink alcohol has changed. Studies of the pattern of consumption among young people indicate that the younger they are when they begin drinking alcohol, the more serious will be the problems accompanying alcohol consumption later on. Finally, comparison with other countries indicates that although the number teenagers who drink alcohol in Icelandic is only average, they have a greater tendency to become drunk and get into trouble as a result, e.g. they have undesirable sexual experiences, become involved in fights and are robbed (Þórólfur Þórlindsson et al., 1998).
Opinion polls indicate that people regard the use of drugs and alcohol by teenagers as a problem (Aldís Yngvadóttir, Árni Einarsson and Guðni R. Björnsson, 1998; GALLUP, 1998). The measures that have been taken with the intention of preventing people from starting to drink fall into three main categories: laws and regulations, pricing and education and publicity. Legislation and regulations restricting access to alcohol, which at one time were very strict, are now being relaxed. The price of alcohol in Iceland is among the highest in the world. Various attempts have been made to make the public aware of the dangers of consuming alcohol and using drugs, and all those who have reached adulthood are reasonably familiar with them. Nevertheless, the fact remains that alcohol and drug abuse have been on the increase in recent years, particularly among teenagers.
New preventive methods must be found if teenage drug abuse is to be reduced. The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council proposes that preventive measures should begin with far younger children than has been the case up to now. The council intends to work to initiate broadly-based collaboration and consultation on preventive measures throughout society.
Parents
It is not disputed that parents are responsible for their children’s upbringing. Modern parents have been criticised for being obsessed with the quest for material comforts at the expense of their children’s upbringing and family values. Studies indicate that the relationship between teenagers and their parents is an important factor in determining whether or not the teenagers use alcohol and drugs. Children whose parents keep an eye on where and with whom they spend their time, and give them support, are less likely to use alcohol and drugs than those whose parents do not do these things. It has also been revealed that there is a close correlation between the amount of time teenagers spend with their parents and whether or not they use alcohol and drugs (Þórólfur Þórlindsson et al., 1998). Recent studies also indicate that upbringing methods are also an important factor. Children whose parents discuss things with them and exchange opinions with them, set clear rules and limits that are backed up with explanations, and show affection and support, are less likely to use alcohol and drugs than those who grow up without guidance, or who have their every whim granted, or are kept under strict orders. Finally, children who know that their parents drink are more likely to do so than those who do not believe that their parents drink (Sigrún Aðalbjarnardóttir and Leifur Geir Hafsteinsson, 1998). Parents must be made aware of these findings so that they realize the importance of these factors in their children’s upbringing.
Health care
The incidence of foetal damage in Iceland due to the mother’s consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is not known, but it is believed to be similar to that in other western societies, c. 1 case per 3,000 births (Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission – AADAC, 1998). The most serious consequences are stunted mental and physical development, and sometimes peculiarities in appearance. The effect on development can influence the child’s behaviour in later life and make it difficult for the child to become socially adapted. It has not proved possible to define specific danger levels in terms of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, as this appears to differ from one individual to another. Pregnant women are generally advised not to drink, and it is certain that few social groups have as healthy a life-style as they do. Pre-natal examinations offer a golden opportunity to investigate expectant mothers’ alcohol consumption and to give support and encouragement to those who decide not to drink during pregnancy. At the same time, women may be in need of support if the child’s father or others in the immediate social environment have alcohol or drug abuse problems.
“The child is father to the man”: parents must realize the extent of their responsibilities right from the birth of their children. Young children need reliable care and attention right from the start. Looking after a child demands patience, dedication and vigilance. The main cause of child accidents is insufficient supervision (Herdís Storgaard, 1994). The health care system can play an important role in identifying families with problems and giving guidance and support to parents who wish to reduce or stop their use of alcohol or drugs.
School doctors and nurses have a good opportunity to monitor children’s health in the course of health inspections in schools. School nurses can make an important contribution in this area: children come to them with a range of problems, large and small, which must be solved in a satisfactory manner.
Schools and educational institutions
It is now common for children to attend nursery school before going to junior school. Nursery school teachers meet their parents almost every day in the nursery schools, and few other people have such close contact with children’s home backgrounds. They are therefore in an ideal position to monitor the growth, development and well-being of the children in their care. Thus, their collaboration with the parents, and their work with the children, are very important factors in the children’s development.
The demands on teachers in connection with the broad role they play in children’s development have been increasing steadily in recent years. The General Curriculum for Junior Schools (Ministry of Education, 1999) states that in addition to stimulating pupils’ mental development, the schools play a role in encouraging their social, moral and emotional growth.
A team of specialists working for the Ministry of Education was entrusted with the task of reviewing, and making proposals on, preventive work in the schools. The team has prepared a fairly thorough report with ideas on the role of the schools in preventive measures, and proposals on how this is to be carried out (Árni Einarsson, 1998). The report emphasises the demand that junior schools be enabled to base their work to the greatest possible extent on the needs and abilities of the pupils by offering a variety of subjects for study and reinforcing pupils’ self-image and social development.
Foreign studies indicate the importance of harnessing pupils’ communicative abilities, thus enhancing their life skills for preventive purposes (Schinke, Botvin and Orlandi, 1991). Under the new General Curriculum for Junior Schools (Ministry of Education, 1999), teaching is to be started in a new subject, “Life Skills”. Studies in Life Skills are intended to stimulate pupils’ general development and prepare them to deal with life as complete individuals. It is envisaged that it will be possible to use this opportunity to discuss various matters that may arise concerning pupils’ feelings and well-being, e.g. bullying, bereavement, accidents, natural catastrophes, drug abuse, discipline and other matters that are appropriate for group discussion.
Sound constructive guidance by a teacher can be crucial for the self-esteem of pupils who for some reason find themselves in difficulty. It is important to monitor the form that teaching in this subject takes in individual schools, and that the latest knowledge available at any given time in the sphere of alcohol and drug abuse prevention should always be available. The findings of a study carried out in Iceland to establish whether it is possible, through special teaching methods, to improve pupils’ communicative skills, are promising (Sigrún Aðalbjarnardóttir, 1993). Pupils who received training made more progress in the use of communicative skills when solving disputes than those who did not. They became more friendly towards each other and showed increased sympathy and consideration in their social relations. It is hoped that classroom work of this type will prove to be a good preparation for these pupils in their adolescent years.
The group of children in difficulty as a result of drug abuse in junior schools is, fortunately, not large. In Iceland, it should be possible to identify this group and give it special attention. For this to be possible, the appropriate type of support must be developed in the schools, and insufficient remedies are available. Important aspects of preventive work in schools include good support remedies provided by the local authorities, courses for teachers and trainee teachers in drug abuse prevention and active, constructive collaboration with parents. It would be desirable to have a special drug abuse prevention officer in each school to be in charge of preventive work, and that children in high-risk groups should receive special attention and support within the school.
The behaviour of many individuals in the 16-19 year age group is characterized by taking risks and testing the limits imposed by the environment. A survey made by the research unit of the Psychiatric Ward of the National Hospital of Iceland revealed that boys in this age group drank the equivalent of two bottles of spirits per month in 1992 (Ása Guðmundsdóttir, 1992). Many young people begin to grow away from their families and live independent lives during their secondary school years; their entertainment activities change and they begin sexual activity. Consequently, many of them cease to look to their parents for advice. It is therefore important to guarantee teenagers of this age access to services where they are able to find answers to various questions and problems that they come up against. Work is under way on a project administered by the Ministry of Education and aimed at developing reliable preventive measures in the secondary schools (Árni Einarsson, 1998; Sigríður Hulda Jónsdóttir, 1998). Summer courses in drug-abuse prevention, counselling and various other forms of assistance have been offered for the staff of the secondary schools in order to make them better equipped to assist pupils who are in difficulty.
Teenagers and leisure time
Teenagers are the most important target group when it comes to preventive measures.
Hitherto it has proved very difficult to make preventive measures reach teenagers. Attempts have been made to mount publicity campaigns, to have ex-addicts describe their experience, to appeal to teenagers by means of advertisements and to contact them through the activities of societies and clubs. Notwithstanding all this, consumption continues to rise. The peer-group is the strongest factor influencing teenagers’ life-style, and it is difficult to predict what form the dominant fashion will take at any given time. (Þórólfur Þórlindsson et al., 1998). Further attention needs to be given to the decisive forces within the peer-group.
About 60-70% of children and teenagers practice sports, and alcohol and drug consumption is less common in this group than among others (Þórólfur Þórlindsson et al., 1998). The sports movement as a whole thus plays a very important role, and its policy on alcohol and drug abuse prevention must be clear. In this connection it is evident that drinking at matches, and to celebrate victories or lament defeats, is not in the spirit of prevention. A resolution was passed at the sports conference organized by the Icelandic Sports and Olympic Games Association in 1997 stating that “The consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs is incompatible with practising sport …”. This resolution is in accordance with overseas resolutions on the same topic. At its national convention in 1997, the Icelandic Youth Association approved a similar resolution. It is unequivocal, and includes the following provisions:
· A ban on consumption of alcohol by practitioners, trainers and leaders on all occasions in sport, e.g. during training and competition trips, and a ban on alcohol consumption by spectators in connection with sports competitions.
· The exclusion of the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and intoxicants from all entertainments held under the auspices of the sports movement, e.g. annual parties, harvest festivals and victory celebrations.
Sports trainers must be expected to understand their responsibilities. Furthermore, high achievers and role models are to be found within the sports movement, and these could be publicised and brought to the notice of teenagers by means of advertisements and lectures. The same applies to other social fora which children and young people attend, e.g. meetings organized by the church, municipal authorities and the scout movement.
In this context, mention should be made of the findings of a long-term study made by Sigrún Aðalbjarnardóttir of the connection between psychological factors and the abuse of alcohol and drugs by teenagers (Leifur Geir Hafsteinsson, Fjölvar Darri Rafnsson and Sigrún Aðalbjarnardóttir, 1998). They indicate that teenagers are more likely, at the age of 14, to have experimented with drinking alcohol if at that age they display symptoms of depression, have low self-esteem, suffer from an appreciable level of stress and consider that their success is to a large extent dependent on external factors. Furthermore, teenagers who demonstrate a high degree of aggression or anti-social behaviour are more likely than others to be drinking and smoking at the age of 14 (Sigrún Aðalbjarnardóttir, Fjölvar Darri Rafnsson and Leifur Geir Hafsteinsson, 1999). The study also showed that even among the group of teenagers who have not tried smoking and drinking by the age of 14, those who have exhibited aggression or anti-social behaviour by the age of 14 are more likely to smoke every day, drink large quantities of alcohol at a time and have experience of using drugs by the time they are 17. It is important to find was of applying knowledge of the influence of psychological factors in preventive work by the health services, social organizations and schools. These factors must be taken into account, no less than the role of parents and peer groups.
Treatment
It is essential that sufficient treatment should be available and specially adapted to the needs of young people. The raising of the age of legal majority to 18 has led to a considerable increase in the number of young people who have to be provided with suitable places in treatment centres. At the time that this is written, about 50 teenagers are waiting for places in the state centres for maladjusted youth, which offer about 40 long-term places and 12 places for admission for investigation and short-term placement at the Stuðlar centre. The waiting period for admission is about 1 year (Bragi Guðbrandsson, 1999). It is also fairly common for teenagers to go to the Vogur centre (for alcohol abuse patients) for treatment. In 1997, 206 individuals aged 19 or under went to Vogur (SÁÁ, 1998). Children who are involved in serious drug abuse have an influence on their entire surroundings, not least their contemporaries, and their behaviour can cause immense damage. It is a matter of overwhelming urgency to set up a health-care institution or diagnostic centre where teenagers can be detoxified and the nature of their problems can be identified before they begin appropriate treatment. Long-term treatment, appears to produce the best results; this may even last many years in a home where the emphasis is on methods of upbringing designed to teach the young people to cope with the challenges of life. Although there has been an increase in the number of places for treatment in recent years, the waiting list for treatment is far too long and the waiting period is too long. This situation must be remedied.
Laws and regulations
Ever since prohibition was abolished in 1935, alcohol abuse prevention policy in Iceland has been characterized mainly by restrictions and limited access to alcohol, e.g. the ban on alcohol advertisements, the state monopoly on sales and restricted opening hours of alcohol sales points and licensed restaurants. Such restrictions have a preventive value, and studies have shown that publicity does not produce results unless restrictions are also in force (Edwards et al., 1995; Ása Guðmundsdóttir, 1994). This policy has been losing ground in recent years. It is important that the purpose behind it should not be forgotten, despite the prevailing trend towards a more liberal policy.
Studies and research
Studies and research lay the foundations for rational decisions and the implementing of projects. Steps must be taken to ensure that the following studies are carried out:
· Regular surveys of trends in alcohol and drug use in the schools in 8th-10th grade age groups and in senior schools.
· Regular surveys of adult consumption patterns.
· Spot surveys in connection with situations that develop unexpectedly.
· Descriptive surveys of the habits, attitudes and life-styles of young people and adults.
· Studies of preventive projects that have been supported with grants from the Prevention Fund in order to evaluate their results.
Steps must be taken to ensure that the data produced by studies is processed to the full, and that the findings of surveys and research are publicised properly.
Religious faith
The ideology of the AA movement is based on a belief in God according to each individual’s private conviction or interpretation. Those who have such a conviction put their trust in a power higher than themselves and believe that it can restore them to health. In this way, many people have found the strength required to stop alcohol or drug abuse and regain control of their lives. Most Icelanders belong to the established Lutheran church. The church, and the Christian faith, can play an important role in preventive measures in modern society. Its message reaches a great number of people through prayer meetings, preparations for confirmation, educational days, conciliation meetings for couples, courses and home visits by ministers of religion. Thus, ministers of religion have many opportunities to discuss alcohol or drug problems and to encourage people to tackle them. It is important to ensure that they have sufficient understanding of preventive work in order to make a constructive contribution in this area (Jakob Ágúst Hjálmarsson, 1998).
Local authorities
“It takes a village to raise a child,” runs the saying. The Government’s policy on alcohol and drug abuse prevention is essentially based on rousing society to consciousness and bringing it to meet its responsibilities regarding the upbringing of its children and youth. An agreement was signed between the Ministry of Health and the prevention department of Alcohol Concern (SÁÁ) at the beginning of 1998 on a two-year collaborative programme of preventive measures to be launched by the local authorities; this is generally referred to as the “local authority project”. Since then, nearly 30 local authorities have begun preventive campaigns following the model laid down in the agreement. The aim of the project is to activate the local authorities, public bodies, NGOs, schools, pupils, parents and other interested parties to work in a deliberate way on prevention by means of professional advice, assistance and support. The prevention department of Alcohol Concern (SÁÁ) prepared the project and tested it out in a number of local government areas. In the project, all those who work with children or young people are invited to a conference on the nature of the problem in the local government area concerned, and they formulate a preventive policy and programme of implementation for the area.
An example of a promising local authority project can be seen in Grafarvogur. Grafarvogur is an experimental suburb in Reykjavík in which there is a community centre called Miðgarður under the direction of a special suburban committee, which is a sub-committee of the Reykjavík City Council. The activities of the centre are based on the Experimental Local Authorities Act and the proposals of the executive committee on experimental local authorities. The aims of the project are to improve services, increase democracy and “organize collaborative projects and integrate services provided in the suburb by the state and the City of Reykjavík” (according to the motion approved by the City Council on 19th December 1996). Part of this project is a preventive campaign with follows a programme entitled “Grafarvogur All Right”. It began originally as one of Alcohol Concern’s local authority projects but is now administered by the suburban committee. The programme was drawn up by the local residents and those who work in the local community (e.g. representatives of the schools, the police, the social services, the health clinics, parents’ associations, the church) and is designed to co-ordinate everyone involved in preventive work in the suburb.
The policy of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Council is aimed at involving people in a more active and democratic way in their local community in a way that suits local circumstances. It is hoped that the measures it takes and the projects it supports will result in local authorities throughout Iceland being well equipped to co-ordinate and implement effective preventive measures against the abuse of alcohol and drugs.
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