Abstract
This study aimed to assess outcome of alcohol-free funeral policy, firstly launched in Lampang in 2008, by comparing between three areas of campaign implementation (completed, ongoing, and no campaign). Methodology: A mixed methods study was carried out in 2012. A face-to-face interview of 1,445 villagers with a structured questionnaire was conducted to evaluate perceptions, attitudes and supports of the respondents toward the policy as well as exposure to the alcohol-free funeral. Twelve funeral hosts were elicited about their funeral details and perspectives on outcomes of the policy by a semi-structured questionnaire. Results: People who lived in the completed implementation areas ever attended fewer funerals with alcohol (26.7%) when compared to people who lived in the ongoing areas (37.4%) or in the areas without campaign (40.9%). The proportion of alcohol drinking experience among who had attended the alcohol-serving funeral in the completed implementation areas was quite low as 26% (6.8/26.7) when compared to 37% and 41% of those in the ongoing areas and the areas without campaign, respectively. The funeral hosts in the completed implementation area elaborated that the areas with no alcohol offering at the funeral complied with the community agreement, and hence, helping them to save money. While some of the funeral hosts in the ongoing and without campaign areas still offered the local white spirit for the participants, and hence, had the expenses and some drunk-driven quarrel and violence in the funerals. At the funeral without offering alcohol, there were fewer attendances because people in the community believed that offering alcohol at the funeral was a tradition. This study recommends that the community agreements and social agreements are needed to support the hosts conducting the alcohol-free funeral.
