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These amendments to the Alcohol Control Law were registered by Linas Slušnys, Irena Haase, Andrius Kupčinskas, Jurgita Sejonienė, Andrius Petrošius, who belong to the conservative faction, as well as the Social Democrats Dovilė Šakalienė and Algirdas Sysas.
According to them, the goal is to reduce alcohol consumption in Lithuania, especially among young people, and to improve public health.
“Absurd”
Saulius Galadauskas, president of the Lithuanian Brewers Guild, when asked to evaluate this initiative, only said one word: “Absurd.”
“A race is being contested to know who does not know what voter.” Why Sunday? It’s very strange, “he said.
According to S. Galadauskas, according to the level of limitations, Lithuania is already a European leader.
“For example, there is no age limit in any European country. There are places where beer and wine drinks are made from the age of 16, starting at 18 spirits. In three Scandinavian countries – Norway, Sweden and Finland – beer and it came from 18, and the strongest from 20. Here is the strictest in Europe. With the 20th century, we are absolute leaders, “he said.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Saulius Galadauskas
According to S. Galadauskas, the time reduction was absurd. Currently, alcohol retail is available from 10 am to 5 pm. M. At 8 p. M. From Monday to Saturday and from 10 a. M. At 3 p. M. On Sundays.
“I think common sense will suffice at Seimas and they will not agree,” he said.
In addition, S. Galadauskas pointed out that with the decrease in alcohol consumption, the government decided to further increase excise duties. This, he said, will further reduce consumption.
“It is an absolutely redundant measure,” he said.
READ MORE: The Seimas has decided to impose excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products:
“Part of the political process”
“It’s difficult to comment on something when there is a fight, which will restrict something more strictly. A strange wave of populism. <...> Most likely it is a response to the proposal of the Liberals to equate the hours of alcohol sales on Sunday with normal days, which is very logical, ”added S. Galadauskas.
Mantas Zakarka, director of the Lithuanian Association of Producers and Importers of Alcoholic Beverages, said that the proposal of the parliamentarians is difficult to evaluate. However, in his opinion, the entire alcohol control policy should be systematically reviewed.
“Some things work, some restrictions are absurd, even inactive, made just to do. <...> We should think more about educating the population and creating a culture of responsible consumption, instead of going through the path of restrictions that will transfer consumers to other days, but that will not fundamentally change the situation, “he said.
Photo from personal archive / Mantas Zakarka
Andrius Romanovskis, head of the Lithuanian Business Confederation, called this proposal “part of the political process”. He also assured that Lithuania currently stands out from the European Union for its strict regulation of alcohol.
“There is no objective data that needs to be further adjusted … I treat this as a certain political position of the Seimas members,” he said.
“Buy in the next few days”
Vaida Budrienė, a representative for the Iki chain of stores, said the current bans are very strict.
“Due to the income, it is very difficult to comment without knowing all the details. Also, there are now several different proposals to regulate alcohol sales. And the most important thing for business is clarity ”, he commented.
Darius Ryliškis, representative of Norfa 15 minutes said the retail chain remains neutral on this issue. In addition, he said, the chain’s managers have expressed the idea that the stores could be completely closed on Sundays and that would be a day off.
“It just came to our attention then. But anyway, the flows would be redistributed, they would not buy on Sundays, but on other days,” he said.
Representatives for Maxima, Lidl and Rimi did not comment on this issue.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Sale in the shopping center
A. Matulas: we must stop the competition
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Seimas Health Affairs Committee, Antanas Matulas, was critical of the proposal to ban the alcohol trade on Sundays.
“It is necessary to put an end to those competitions with the alcohol and tobacco control laws. I understand that in 2000, when everything was liberalized, advertising, sales and consumption almost day and night, strict regulation was needed. Now there are sufficient restrictions “, 15 minutes said A. Matulas.
According to the deputy, there are now other measures to reduce alcohol consumption: employment, education, job creation.
He also assured that a total ban on Sunday trading could increase shadow trading.
“If we ban the sale of alcohol on Sundays, it is clear that the shadow is likely to grow. I don’t think the race should continue. The bans are enough and the nation should be sober by other means, because until now the ‘peasants’ have tried to fight against the legal alcohol trade, and due to the shadow, the smuggling, the lack of employment, the measures aimed at unemployment were few “, A. Matulas assured.
Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Antanas Matulas
Matul said the drafters of the amendments had offered to sign the bill for him as well, but he disagreed.
Ieva Pakarklytė, the senior of the Seimas Freedom Faction, said that a task force made up of ruling representatives had been preparing amendments to the Alcohol Control Act for several months and, according to her, this option had received the most support. .
“A special working group has been created to prepare amendments to the Alcohol Control Act. We believe that the option presented has received the most support and probably the original idea should not change,” said I. Pakarklytė.
At the time, the proposal to trade alcohol on Sundays, he said, should not receive much support from the rulers.
“All the coalition parties went to the elections with the message that we must trust more people and punish, ban and use other means: education and information. I do not think this idea will receive much support in the coalition, and it may there should be some opposition to her, ”said the senior from the Freedom Faction.
Ernestos Čičiurkaitės / 15min nuotr./Ieva Pakarklytė
Algirdas Butkevičius, who works in a mixed group of Seimas members, also said he would not support the proposal.
“No, I really would not agree. I always talk about the fact that alcohol consumption depends on the educational program, not on prohibitions. The more we talk about the harm that alcohol does to young people, the more we will achieve this way than with the prohibition ”, commented the parliamentarian.
Others call for the Scandinavian example to be followed
Algirdas Sys, the head of the Social Democratic faction in the Seimas, which signed the initiative, said that the example of the Scandinavian countries should be followed, where Friday is the last day to buy alcohol.
“After banning the sale of alcohol from three in the afternoon on Sundays, Lithuanians still dared to come to work on Mondays, so to speak, with promille. This is proven by research. I think we should go the Scandinavian way, where Friday is already the last day to buy alcohol. In cafes, restaurants, please, but in the store it is not necessary, “argued A.Sys.
He said that it was not yet possible to discuss this proposal in the group.
At the time, he did not raise concerns about illegal trade.
“There are concerns all the time: When we increase excise duties, we reduce accessibility. The main trump card will be illegal trade. There may be a little at first, but then it picks up. The bans and restrictions that have been introduced have been successful. positive, ”he said.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Algirdas Sysas
“Farmer”, former Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga described the proposal as “a very good initiative”.
“I imagine that my colleagues have probably looked away from the Scandinavian countries and there are no such things there. I myself have repeatedly commented that there is no trade in those countries on Sundays,” said A.Veryga.
The former minister said he was not offered to join the initiative.
“It just came to our knowledge then. Now we do not need to liberalize, but to look for new solutions, new restrictions, because during the quarantine year alcohol consumption jumped a little again,” lamented a member of Seimas.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Aurelijus Veryga
You want to reduce availability
According to the authors of the amendments to the Alcohol Control Law registered on Wednesday, the increasing number of deaths from alcohol use in Lithuania is of particular concern.
“According to data from the Department of Statistics, in 2020 the number of deaths from alcohol reached 1,078 (that is, 38.6%), in 2019 it was 952 (that is, 34.1%) and in 2018 it was 913 (that is, say, 32.6%) “. , – indicated in the explanatory memorandum of the project.
According to parliamentarians, also in recent years 3 percent. Sales of alcoholic beverages in retail and catering establishments increased (28.3 million decaliliters of alcohol were sold in 2019, 29.2 million decaliliters in 2020).
According to parliamentarians, the biggest upward trend in sales is seen in sales of low-alcohol beverages.
“The World Health Organization recommends that market regulation measures be used to address alcohol consumption. Among these measures is the reduction of accessibility, that is, the limitation of time. The project foresees the introduction of a deadline for the sale of alcoholic beverages in commercial retail companies and a tightening of the term for the trade of alcoholic beverages in commercial companies installed in apartment buildings, ”say the members of the Seimas.
You want to loosen the restrictions
In mid-June, the Seimas approved several amendments to the Alcohol Control Law: it is proposed to allow the trade of alcohol every day from 10 a.m. M. At 8 p. M., And people over 18 years of age could consume up to 15%. Strength alcoholic beverages, while the strongest, only from the age of 20.
The alcohol control laws were drastically tightened a few years ago by the former “peasant” government: the age limit for drinking alcohol was increased to 20 years, business hours were reduced from 10 am to 8 pm, on Sundays from 10 am to 8 pm. 15 hours and all alcohol. advertising was prohibited.
A poll conducted by BNS on behalf of Vilmorus in May shows 46.5 percent. 41.5 percent of respondents do not agree or rather do not support the revision of restrictions on trade and alcohol advertising, at that time they tend to support it.
Up to 74.6 percent. 59.3% of those surveyed did not agree or previously did not agree with the reduction of the age limit for alcohol buyers. the respondents did not agree or rather disagreed with the extension of the hours of sale of alcoholic beverages.
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