The proposal to raise the alcohol sale age from 18 to 20 years would not be an optimal solution because it causes legal counter-arguments and suggests it’s necessary to review the concept of adulthood, says Dāvis Vītols, Executive Director of Latvian Alcohol Industry Association (LANA).
According to him, if the existing restriction is breached, it is the duty of the country’s law enforcement institutions to determine where youngsters purchase alcoholic beverages and shut it down. “Legislators have to keep in mind it will be necessary to tackle various age threshold-related conflicting situations, such as the conflict with the Labour Law, which, in its present iteration, states that that 18 and 19-year-olds can be sold alcohol in a shop or bar, but they are not allowed to consume it themselves.”
The proposed changes are also contested by Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Latvia (LVRA), because it risks impacting youngsters’ employment and training opportunities in this sector.
“Raising the age threshold would deny young people aged 18 to 20 the opportunity to work in the sector that primarily employs young people. Many youngsters get their first jobs in this sector. Restrictions would deny youngsters the opportunity to participate in the distribution of alcoholic beverages – they would lose the opportunity to not only sell alcoholic beverages but also participate in career training as bartenders, sommeliers and other professions that involve the preparation and use of alcoholic beverages,” said LVRA President Andris Kalniņš.
He stressed that the sector has been battling with a severe shortage of work force for a long time. This is why the decision to raise the age threshold would cause serious problems.
“We are shocked the Ministry of Economy and Saeima’s Social and Employment Matters Committee did not think to invite our sector to participate in discussions about restrictions that directly influence the national economy and the sector’s longevity,” said Kalniņš.
Vītols reminds: “Surprise introduction of restrictions creates conditions under which the desire to reduce excessive alcohol consumption in society may not come to pass. We invite legislators to perform a careful analysis of the administrative tasks burden, as well as all welfare and public health risks associated with the adoption of the proposed restrictions. Risks should be analysed in contrast to expected benefits, but right now we don’t have criteria for a full evaluation of effectiveness of proposed restrictions.”
BNN previously reported that the Ministry of Healthcare has prepared a legislative draft “Amendments to Handling of Alcoholic Beverages Law”. During debates in the Saeima, deputies proposed raising the sales age threshold from 18 to 20 years.
Also read: Latvian Saeima deputies propose limiting alcohol sale time even more
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