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Street-level alcohol policy: Assessing intoxication at drinking venues in Oslo

Aim: This article examines liquor inspectors’ assessment of intoxication at drinking establishments in Norway. It draws upon Lipsky's theory of street-level bureaucrats (1980) to study a situation where laws and informal norms seem to pull in opposite directions. Methods: We conducted 26 ethnographic observations of liquor inspectors’ visits to drinking venues in Oslo, as well as qualitative interviews and field conversations with liquor inspectors. Findings: The study reveals that inspectors interpret the Norwegian Alcohol Act in four main ways that lead to lenient enforcement of the law. (1) Inspectors translate the wording of the Act into their everyday language. (2) They use significant discretion when assessing a patron's intoxication level. (3) The inspectors identify with patrons. (4) They find it hard to spot deviance when everyone is drunk. Conclusions: Research on alcohol policy usually focuses on the national level. Decisions made at the ‘street level’, however, might also lead to over-serving, alcohol-related harm and violence. The street-level alcohol policy allows a level of intoxication far above that allowed by the law. In this way, the inspectors support and maintain a liberal drinking culture.