Background information

The Swedish vodka company Absolut, which is behind the famous Vodka brand Absolut, has started delivering spirits, the main ingredients in hand sanitizers, to the Swedish authorities who need it. The products are distributed nationwide to hospitals, healthcare facilities, pharmacies and regionally to social services facilities and the elderly care.

Content of measure

At the start of COVID-19 crisis the health service in Stockholm described they were in emergency, risking to not fulfilling their mission. There was an immediate need for hand alcohol. The company Absolut quickly announced that they could help to solve the shortage. The company had already made alcohol for their own use.

The goal has been to deliver 700,000 liters of raw material for hand alcohol and disinfectants that goes to health care. The spirit makes up about 70% of the finished hand spirit and is produced in the company’s factory in Lidköping.

The products are distributed nationwide to hospitals, healthcare facilities, pharmacies and regionally to social services facilities and the elderly care. The products are donated.

Use of measure

The products are distributed nationwide to hospitals, healthcare facilities, pharmacies and regionally to social services facilities and the elderly care. The spirit is donated by the company and they have stated that they will not start to produce their own brand of alcohol gel. They are happy to help with and to contribute to the crisis.

Contents

• Solidarity

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Workers in care facilities Workers in essential services	Companies providing essential services	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Company / Companies	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

There is no information on the involvement of the social partners'.

Views and reactions

There is no information regarding the view of the social partners'.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 22 March 2020: Absolut Vodka invests in hand alcohol for the health care (Absolut vodka satsar på handpsirt för vården) (www.breakit.se)