First published in 1998, this volume constitutes a fascinating analysis of the clash of the alcohol control systems of three Nordic countries – Finland, Norway and Sweden – with the free-market of the European Union. It examines of the impact of joining the EU and of remaining outside the trade area, providing a detailed review from a number of perspectives that will interest not only alcohol experts but all social scientists, along with all those interested in links and conflicts between public health interests, market forces and trade agreements. Topics discussed include national systems of alcohol production and distribution, taxation, retail prices, patterns of alcohol consumption, economic actors, social and health consequences and changes in attitudes to alcohol policy in the Nordic countries.