Age limits for purchasing alcohol: In the Saeima there is a call to create a division – weak, medium and strong alcohol

Latvia is a country that drinks. Referring to statistical data, the Saeima states that our country has the highest average alcohol consumption in the entire European Union. Hopefully, their good news is the introduction of new restrictions on the MPs’ agenda, which was considered in the second reading today.

The plan to limit the time during which alcohol can be purchased in stores was supported without debate. This morning it is allowed to be sold from 8.00 in the morning until 22.00 in the evening. With the changes in the law, it is intended to determine that from Monday to Saturday alcohol will be sold from 10.00 in the morning until 20.00 in the evening, but on Sundays – from 10.00 a.m. to 18.00

On the other hand, the discussions were caused by the call to raise the age from which it is allowed to buy alcoholic beverages. Previously, the commission supported the decision to increase it from 18 to 20 years. However, supporters of this proposal remained in the minority at the Saeima session on Thursday.

“I also invite the doubters to visit, together with the social services, the drunkards’ dwellings, where all the money is consumed, including the allowances granted by the state and local governments, and the family is left without food and without income. In the final result, the drunkard beats his wife and children, and we pay for shelters,” says Saeima member Ingrīda Circene (JV).

Some MPs from the podium expressed the opinion that raising the age will do nothing, it will only encourage illegal trade.

“We are skeptical about the age issue, we are very skeptical. Since our founding, we are a party that not only appeals to young people, but also talks to them, and we hear young people’s anxiety about this regulation, and it is not a desire to drink. Young people, just like social workers, who are also worried, see that in this way, young people will be pushed into the aforementioned “Telegram”, Internet sites where young people will not only buy alcohol, but also take many other illegal and uncontrolled substances with them. says deputy Mairita Luse (P).

“You, a twenty-year-old adult, can shoot, you can get married, you can drive a car, you can vote and you can also end up behind bars, but we won’t trust you to open a bottle. It seems to me that it is not reasonable to raise this age, because, in my opinion, the culture of alcohol consumption needs to be changed,” says deputy Andris Kulbergs (AS).

Pressing for the debate, the MPs decided to keep the possibility to buy soft drinks – beer, cider, wine – from the age of 18. On the other hand, increase the age of purchase of strong alcohol.

“In Latvia, the availability of alcohol is relatively easy – in the front, in the back, in gas tanks, the longest shelf in stores is the alcohol shelf. Something has to be done, somewhere we friends have gone wrong. We divide the alcohol – weak, medium, strong – and there is no problem if the young person uses that beer up to six degrees or cider. Let them learn to drink alcohol civilly. You can’t really get drunk from it, you’ll often have to go, excuse me, to one institution,” said MP Māris Sprindžuks.

Amendments to the law provide for several other changes, such as restrictions on advertising and sales promotions. But in order to reduce impulsive purchases, it is planned to determine that alcohol purchased on the Internet may be delivered no sooner than six hours from the moment of ordering.

For the new regulation to enter into force, it still needs to be approved in the final reading.

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