A single before-and-after study40 evaluated the effects of
remonopolization of sales of medium-strength beer in
Sweden. This study compared the association between
the number of retail alcohol outlets and the occurrence
of six different alcohol-related outcomes during a
51-month period following the remonopolization of
medium-strength beer, with that for a similar period
prior to remonopolization. Among young people aged
10–19 years, alcoholism, alcohol intoxication, and alcohol
psychosis (which were considered in combination)
decreased by 20% (p0.05) following remonopolization.
These outcomes also decreased by 5%
among people aged 40 years, although the change
was not significant (p0.05). Hospitalizations for acute
alcohol intoxication also decreased between 3.5% and
14.7% (p0.05); suicides decreased by 1.7% to 11.8%
(p0.05); and falls decreased by 3.6% to 4.9% (p
0.05) following remonopolization, although none of
these changes were significant either. Motor-vehicle
crashes (MVCs) significantly decreased by 14% (p
0.05) in all age categories except one (those aged
20–39 years). Other nonsignificant changes include
assaults, which decreased by 1.4% among those aged
20–39 years, but increased by 6.9% to 14.8% (p0.05)
in the other age groups: 10–19, 40–59, 60 years. The
authors did not provide any explanation for this seemingly
inconsistent finding.