No Alcohol Law Implemented in Krakow

On Saturday, July 1st, a nightly "no alcohol law" came into effect in Krakow. The sale of alcohol is prohibited throughout the city from midnight until 5:30 AM.

This information was reported by TVN.

In May, councilors unanimously passed the decision to restrict the sale of alcohol.

The ban applies to all establishments selling alcoholic beverages for consumption off-site. This includes shops, including liquor stores, supermarkets, specialized stores such as wine shops, as well as petrol stations.

In preparing the resolution, the city authorities referred, among other things, to the Law on Sobriety Education and Alcoholism Prevention.

The city council members who supported the document drew attention to the complaints of residents whose peace is disturbed by drunken customers, especially tourists, particularly in the center of Krakow.

Opponents argued that small shops in remote areas of the city, such as Nowa Huta, could survive thanks to the sale of alcohol.

However, it is easy to bypass the nighttime ban. Employees of certain stores in the city that operate under such regulations serve customers wishing to purchase alcohol by noting the sold item on a piece of paper, accepting cash payment for it, and recording the sale in the cash register after 5:30 AM.

The Krakow Trade Association supported the prohibition. However, some entrepreneurs are against it. They fear a decrease in revenue and job cuts.

The city district councils were divided on the restrictions on nighttime alcohol sales. Eight evaluated the draft resolution negatively (Stare Miasto, Grzegórzki, Prądnik Biały, Krowodrza, Bronowice, Dębniki, Podgórze Duchackie, Mistrzejowice), five positively (Prądnik Czerwony, Zwierzyniec, Łagiewniki-Borek Fałęcki, Podgórze, Wzgórza Krzesławickie), and five did not take a position (Swoszowice, Bieżanów-Prokocim, Czyżyny, Bieńczyce, Nowa Huta).

Similar restrictions on the sale of alcohol at night are in place in Katowice, Poznań, Wrocław, Zakopane, and Skawina. Such limitations also exist in some countries worldwide, such as Ireland, Portugal, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia, Sweden, Spain, Finland, Latvia, and Norway.

As previously reported by The Gaze, fines for consuming, storing, and transporting alcoholic beverages in open containers in the passenger compartment of vehicles came into effect in Lithuania on June 1st.

In 2009, amendments to the alcohol control law were introduced in Lithuania, prohibiting individuals from consuming, storing, and transporting alcoholic products in open compartments of vehicles, with the exception of vehicles with a stationary partition separating passenger and driver areas.

Previously, consumption of alcoholic beverages in vehicle cabins was usually penalized according to general traffic violation regulations in the Code of Administrative Offenses. However, according to Ramūnas Matonis, a spokesperson for the Police Department, the parliament has now specified fines for consuming, storing, and transporting alcohol in the Code of Administrative Offenses. These fines can also be imposed on passengers who violate the prohibition.