September to have dry start in Lithuania

Aug 22, 2007
By TBT staff and wire reports

VILNIUS - Sep. 1 promises to be an interesting day in Lithuania, as the country will effectively introduce prohibition for one day only.

To mark the beginning of the new school year, alcohol sales will be banned, with everyone from wedding guests to foreign tourists included in the ban.

According to the Lietuvos Rytas daily, hotel minibars will be locked and even passengers on board ships flying the Lithuanian flag will face the prospect of a day without booze.

As part of amendments to alcohol control laws, Sep. 1 has been nominated as the day when it is forbidden to sell alcohol.

All 300 members of the Lithuanian Association of Hotels and Restaurants are preparing a special campaign to apologize to their guests for parliament's decision.

But other owners of restaurants are already working out ways to get round the law. One solution is to take money in advance so that drinks are actually purchased the day before. Others plan to serve alcohol "for free," while coincidentally hiking the price of food for one day only. A third option being considered is running bar 'tabs' throughout the day, and asking customers to settle up on the stroke of midnight, Sep. 2.

All of which just goes to prove that it takes more than a parliament to stand between a Lithuanian and his beer.

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