It is important to reduce the overall alcohol consumption in Latvia, Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity) said in an interview with commercial TV3 television.
It affects both public safety and overall health. In Lithuania, the introduction of alcohol restrictions has succeeded in reducing alcohol consumption, the minister said.
The planned restrictions are intended to reduce alcohol consumption among young people, he said. “Young people are our future,” the minister added.
Alcohol consumption in Latvia has reached epidemic levels, and ambitious and comprehensive measures are urgently needed to significantly reduce this, the National Council on Alcohol Control concluded. The meeting discussed the completion of ongoing measures to curb alcoholism, but no major new initiatives were announced.
Data from the Latvian School Health Habits Survey show that the proportion of girls drinking alcohol is increasing, exceeding that of boys for the first time.
Data from the Emergency Medical Service for 2023 also show an increase in the number of calls related to children who have consumed alcohol. National Health Service data show that there has been a significant increase in the number of children receiving outpatient and inpatient treatment for mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use.
Source: BNS
(Reproduction of BNS information in mass media and other websites without written consent of BNS is prohibited.)