In less than three months it will be Christmas. Then there are many people who have a glass – or several. Christmas is a peak for the sale of alcohol. And in most grocery stores you can buy this on Christmas Eve. But not in Sunnfjord. – We know that many children and young people struggle at Christmas because their parents abuse alcohol. There are 900,000 children in Norway. This is a signal that we want to take the side of children and young people, says Magne Aardal (SV). He is the leader of the Committee for Health and Care, which has drawn up the new rules. The municipality prohibits alcohol halls for being on the children’s team. For stronger cases, you must act before Christmas Eve anyway. The pole is then closed. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB Buyer Hjelmbrekke in Spar Jølstraholmen is not impressed by the municipality. – I think it’s a shame that Sunnfjord municipality wants to cut back, he says. The merchant thinks there will be a toll trip for some people on 24 December. – I don’t quite see why they want to be so restrictive, says Hjelmbrekke. Firda spoke to Hjelmbrekke first about the proposal. Decide for yourself In the neighboring municipality of Kinn, for example, the alcohol hall is open until 4pm on Christmas Eve. The municipalities can decide themselves on the times for the hall and the serving of alcohol. Before public holidays, Sunnfjord has seen a limit of 3 p.m. They are thus among the strictest 1 percent in the country. On weekdays, you can buy beer in almost all municipalities until 8 pm, which is the maximum time. In 2022, only three municipalities had previously closed the beer hall, according to FHI. For Saturdays and bank holidays, the maximum time is 6 p.m., there were only six municipalities that closed the beer hall earlier two years ago. Different rules for alcohol halls For Saturday and the day before Bank Holiday, the rules were as follows in 2022: * Until 6 p.m.: 343 municipalities * Until 5 p.m.: One municipality * Until 4 p.m.: Two municipalities * Until 3 p.m.: Three municipalities Source: FHI, which not talking about Christmas Eve specifically Raymond Lillemo, who is shopping at Spar Jølstraholmen, understands the point of the municipality to protect the children. Nevertheless, he does not agree with the decision. – In the main, we are grown-up people. That there should be such large restrictions on the purchase of alcohol is just nonsense, he says. Christmas is peak for the sale of alcohol. Photo: Andrine Gald Myklebust – A paradox The organization Av-og-til has a different view. – Christmas is a real stop when it comes to alcohol. And that’s when we spend extra time with our own and other people’s children. This is a paradox, says general secretary Ragnhild Kaski. At the same time that the municipality is introducing one of the country’s strictest red day schemes, they have also put in place more spacious rules for serving food at outdoor restaurants, which are in line with most other municipalities in the country. Mayor Jenny Følling (Sp) says the case is symbolic and does not have major consequences. Photo: ODDMUND HAUGEN / news It is nevertheless the strict red day scheme that has received the most attention. Mayor Jenny Følling (Sp) refers to it as a symbolic matter. – I don’t think it will have a major practical consequence. Those who want a beer on Christmas Eve can buy it the day before, says Følling. Published 04.10.2024, at 05.39 Updated 04.10.2024, at 16.21
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– Sind – news Vestland
