Changes to Finland's alcohol laws, introduced at the beginning of the summer, have not led to a significant spike in the sales of alcohol products in shops, according to an industry body.
On 10 June, grocery stores and supermarkets across Finland were permitted to sell beverages with an alcohol content of up to eight percent, following a reform of the nation's alcohol laws by PM Petteri Orpo's (NCP) government.
The previous limit for alcohol sold in shops was 5.5 percent.
The Finnish Grocery Trade Association (acronymed in Finnish as PTY) said in a statement on Tuesday that the reform has led to a very small bump in grocery store sales, with the value increasing by 1.9 percent since the law change came into effect.
The legislative reform had led to warnings — most notably from Finland's public health authority THL — that the loosening of the laws could lead to more excessive drinking habits.
Instead, the biggest difference so far has been observed in the sales of Finland's state-owned alcohol chain Alko, which reported an 8 percent dip in the immediate aftermath of the law reform.
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