VILNIUS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania's Parliament (Seimas) on Thursday adopted amendments to the law on alcohol control which raises the minimum allowed drinking age, restricts alcohol selling hours and bans the advertising of alcoholic beverages.
The amendments were approved last week but the final parliamentary vote took place on Thursday due to numerous additional proposals.
As of 2018, the minimum allowed drinking age will be raised from the current 18 to 20, alcohol selling hours will be limited from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.
As of next year, a total ban on alcohol advertizing will come into effect. However, alcohol beverages' labeling and brand names on umbrellas, mugs, ashtrays and other supplies will not be considered as advertising, lawmakers agreed.
As of 2020, non-stationary points of alcohol sales will disappear.
A total of 101 lawmakers voted in favor of the measures aimed at restricting alcohol consumption, with 10 against, and 10 MPs abstained.
Lawmakers representing opposition were skeptical about some of the implemented measures which were proposed by the ruling Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Union (LZVS).
"We need to limit alcohol selling hours and advertising, however, there is a big question if there is no overdoing in terms of raising the minimum allowed drinking age; a distrust in the younger generation has been showed," Mindaugas Majauskas, an MP from opposition conservatives party, was quoted as saying by local media.
The Seimas rejected some of the measures proposed earlier, such as requiring individuals to transport and store alcoholic beverages in public in non-transparent packaging.
The lawmakers also rejected special alcohol consumption zones where people under 20 would not be allowed to enter during public events.
In recent years, Lithuanian authorities have been considering measures aimed at restricting access of alcohol, due to concerns over alcohol abuse in the Baltic country. Enditem
