Welcome to Copenhagen, Denmark, where we gather from all Nordic and Baltic countries to discuss alcohol and drug issues. NordAN conference 2022 takes place on November 18-19. The theme of the conference will be "Alcohol and family life". There is no doubt that alcohol affects more than just the drinker. Family members are the most directly affected, but society as a whole bears the burden as well. It is becoming more and more common to use and study terms such as passive drinking and harm to others.
A stronger alcohol policy is justified by the harms alcohol causes to other people. Despite the health risks involved in individual drinking, many people consider it a personal matter. They change their minds when they see how others are affected by that drinking.
 

Additionally, there are preventive measures and factors that could influence that situation. By preventing alcohol use and different levels of future alcohol use disorders would prevent the wider harm associated with these problems. Denmark has been dealing with a couple of significant areas which affect the possible start of alcohol problems in societies - the drinking age limit and the low-risk drinking guidelines. And this is where we also kick off our conference in Copenhagen. Furthermore, we will learn what is being done to help people, especially children who come from families with alcohol problems. The impacts of COVID-19 on alcohol problems within the family will also be discussed, as well as what social services are available for different groups that are most affected by alcohol problems.
 

In recent years, NordAN has increasingly focused on drug issues. And we will have a special plenary on the current situation in our countries, paying particular attention to Denmark, the hosting country.
 

Our goal is to have a networking conference, where we can learn from each other, share experiences and leave with some practical knowledge for our future work. While we focus on the Nordic and Baltic regions, we also inquire about broader European and global issues. Our previous conferences have shown that alcohol problems cross borders, but we believe that solutions and best practices can be shared through networking.