Estonia to allocate €10 million to fight alcoholism

Estonia will allocate 10 million euros to fight alcoholism in the country, health and labor minister Urmas Krusse has said. 

The money will go towards fighting addiction and rehabilitation, Krusse revealed.

"The state has taken very strong steps too. One very important change is that during the next EU funding period, we allocate 10 million euros to fight against alcoholism and addiction, plan rehabilitation of these people too," said Kruuse.

It follows after Tallinn City government passed a law last week banning the sale of alcohol on Sundays. It's hoped the new law, which comes in to force in March next year, will cut drinking numbers in the country. 

At the same time, he acknowledged the existence of problems. Control purchases and studies show that small shops have the biggest problems selling alcohol to minors. However, alcohol sales bans on these shops means that the shops could close due to lack of business.

Critics of the new laws say the alcohol bans on Sundays would drive tourists away from the capital. 

"The current government has said very clearly, through the excise duty increases, about alcohol and vices that we cannot tolerate it," Krusse told Estonian television.

(Edited by Rayyan Sabet-Parry)