It is important to reduce overall alcohol consumption in Latvia – minister

This impacts both public safety and overall health. In Lithuania, by introducing alcohol restrictions, it was possible to reduce alcohol consumption, the minister said.

He emphasized that with the planned restrictions, it is planned that young people will drink less alcohol. “Youth are our future,” the minister added.

Alcohol consumption in Latvia has reached epidemic levels, so ambitious and comprehensive measures are urgently needed to significantly reduce this figure, the National Council for Limiting Alcoholism has concluded. The meeting discussed the completion of ongoing measures to combat alcoholism, but no significant new initiatives were announced.

Data from a study of the health habits of Latvian schoolchildren show that the proportion of girls drinking alcohol has increased, exceeding the proportion of boys for the first time.

Emergency Medical Services data for 2023 also shows an increase in the number of calls involving children drinking alcohol. On the other hand, NHS data shows that the number of children with alcohol-related mental and behavioral disorders receiving treatment for the first time in outpatient and inpatient settings has increased significantly.