Tallinn strips 124 shops and all gas stations of alcohol license
Following the Tallinn City Council's decision to limit alcohol sale on the city's territory, approximately 124 will lose the right to sell alcohol, according to the calculations.
These are shops that are located less than 50 meters from the entrance of primary, secondary and vocational schools, or do not satisfy the increased total sales area requirement.
The City Council doubled the minimum size of licensed shops, from 75 to 150 square meters. The restriction aims to limit the number of corner shops in residential areas, which specialize in selling alcohol.
Gas stations have also been banned from selling alcohol in an attempt to decrease the risk of alcohol-related road accidents.
In addition, the sale of alcohol during sporting events has been confined to a restricted area of the venue.
The Deputy Mayor of Tallinn, Merike Martinson, referred to the data released by the National Institute for Health Development, which put alcohol-related deaths in Tallinn at 139. According to a study by Estonian Institute of Economic Research, 83 percent of Estonian population said that alcohol consumption must be cut down and 51 percent polled said it should be done by imposing strict regulations.
"Whereas most of the European countries have four or five outlets that sell alcohol per 100,000 people, this number is 195 in Estonia and 440 in Tallinn," Martinson said. "The facts indicate alcohol consumption and the resulting accidents have reached a dangerously high level, and something must be done about it."
The changes will come into effect in July 1.