Gallery

On Thursday, 20 June, the Saeima in the third and final reading supported amendments to the Handling of Alcoholic Beverages Law to limit the consumption of alcoholic beverages among children and young people. 

The amendments require a buyer of alcoholic beverages between 18 and 25 years of age to present identification to the salesperson without prior request. The amendments stipulate that as of 1 January 2014 all alcoholic beverages, except beer if its alcoholic content does not exceed 5.8%, must be sold in specially designated sections in supermarkets. Tasting of alcoholic beverages outside of these designated self-service areas is prohibited.

Moreover, the amendments prohibit sale of alcoholic beverages by distance contracts, in dormitories, on the premises of social care, state or municipal institutions, except culture and sports institutions, for instance, in theatres and concert halls.

Today the Saeima rejected a proposal that was previously supported by the responsible committee and that prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages in places that are situated less than 50 metres from an entrance to an educational institution.

The amendments to the Law also require advertisements of alcoholic beverages to include information on restrictions to sell, purchase or hand over alcohol to minors. Today the Saeima adopted a decision that starting from next July it will be forbidden to advertise alcoholic beverages by means of environmental advertisements.

According to the authors of the Draft Law, Latvia has one of the highest indicators of alcohol consumption among youths in the European Union and relatively easy access to alcohol; this situation has not improved during the last five years.

The amendments to the Handling of Alcoholic Beverages Law are linked to amendments to the Latvian Administrative Violation Code which were supported by the Saeima in the second reading and which, inter alia, set forth stricter penalties for minors purchasing alcoholic beverages. The amendments are also linked to amendments to the Law on Police which have been adopted by the Saeima in the final reading and which authorise police officers to involve minors in control purchases more actively.

Amendments to these laws were drafted by a working group that was chaired by Arvils Ašeradens, Deputy Chairman of the Social and Employment Matters Committee of the Saeima, and that included MPs Inita Bišofa (Reform Party), Andris Buiķis (Unity), Ivans Klementjevs (Concord Centre) and Aleksejs Loskutovs (Unity).


Saeima Press Service