[Trends in alcohol-related damages in Norway].

Like most other countries Norway has experienced a substantial increase in alcohol consumption since world war II, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. This development has been accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of heavy drinkers, and an increase in the frequency of drunkenness. The effects on mortality rates have been substantial. It is estimated that alcohol-related mortality from diseases due to long-term abuse have increased fourfold since world war II. Violent deaths due to alcohol intoxication have increased too. Furthermore, the increase in crimes of violence experienced after the mid-1960s is partly due to the increase in alcohol consumption.