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What are the key features of the Swedish law on alcohol sales (Systembolaget)?

1) Refusals, inconvenience, and cost
2) Health considerations must be necessary and proportionate
3) No maximum quantity restrictions, which is unsuitable
4) Protecting young people, but applies to all, which is beyond necessary
5) Age declaration alternative is proportionate
6) None of the above

User Nick Keets
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The Swedish Systembolaget regulates alcohol sales to promote public health and safety, using strategies like refusal to sell to intoxicated individuals, high costs, and age verification to discourage alcohol abuse. Unlike U.S. prohibition laws, it does not ban alcohol but controls it, aiming to reduce social issues associated with alcohol. None of the listed options from the student's question perfectly match the operational principles of Systembolaget.

Step-by-step explanation:

Swedish Law on Alcohol Sales: Systembolaget

The Swedish state's alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget operates under mandates prioritizing public health and societal safety. Among its key features are prevention of abuse through controlled sales, not allowing sales to intoxicated persons, and a minimum legal age requirement of 20 for purchases. Unlike the historical temperance movements in the United States, which culminated in the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act, the Swedish model does not prohibit alcohol but regulates it to mitigate social issues connected with alcohol consumption. Limiting the access to alcohol was hoped to reduce the daily consumption of alcohol much like during the Prohibition era in the United States, which saw enforcement difficulties that ultimately led to its repeal. Systembolaget uses inconvenience, high costs, and a limitation on points of sale as means to decrease alcohol consumption.

When examining the student's list, none of the options perfectly match the Systembolaget's regulations. Health considerations are indeed paramount in its operation and are meant to be proportionate to the risk posed by alcohol consumption. There is no official maximum quantity restriction for purchase, yet bulk purchases are discouraged through oversight measures. The monopoly extensively protect young people by requiring age verification and not selling to minors, aiming for a societal effect rather than targeting specific individuals.

User Tom Gruner
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