Netanya councilor seeks to limit alcohol sales

The proposal follows a decision by Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav to close kiosks around his city after midnight.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
In the wake of a number of cities' recent moves to limit late-night alcohol sales, Netanya city councilor Herzl Keren has proposed that Netanya introduce by-laws to stop the sale of alcohol from kiosks and supermarkets after 10 p.m., reports www.local.co.il. Keren said he had gone on several tours of the city at night, and had been surprised by the ease with which alcohol could be obtained. According to the report, Keren's proposal follows a decision by Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav to close kiosks around his city after midnight, and a decision by the city of Modi'in to limit the sale of alcohol there. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai has also announced that he intends to stop alcohol sales after 9 p.m. The report said that public drunkenness among young people has become a "national problem" and has caused a rise in the number of incidents of violence and vandalism. In addition, pubs and nightclubs everywhere are reporting falling incomes because patrons are arriving already "loaded" with alcohol they had previously purchased and consumed elsewhere. Keren said that while the law prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone aged under 18, this restriction is often not enforced. And he said that even for those old enough to buy alcohol legally, the ease with which they could do so was problematic. "The problem is not just minors who drink alcohol in public places, but also those aged 18 and over." He said that other cities in Israel and in other countries had made it more difficult to obtain alcohol at night, and he was proposing that kiosks and supermarkets in Netanya be banned from selling alcohol after 10 p.m. Keren added that nightclubs and pubs would still be able to sell alcohol to patrons at night. No response to the proposal was reported.