In the Baltic country is drunk the most. Now Lithuania says the alcohol the fight: A new law prohibits advertising and reduced the serving at concerts. A model for other countries?
Lady Gaga, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The xx – in the past five years, have visited some of the great Acts of Lithuania for the first Time a visit and were, of course, sold out. Since the end of the Soviet Union, the small Baltic country has maintained its position as the host for the Western music market. A not insignificant share of international beer companies, which took advantage of these concerts to reach a young audience. But a new law was adopted on Thursday (01.06.2017) from the Parliament, and, among other things, consumption of alcohol is allowed in the future only 20 years ago, will affect this type of advertising in the future.
Beer manufacturers are major sponsors
“Without the sponsors we could have artists like Ellie Goulding, moderate, or Nicolas Jaar never to Vilnius invite. And beer companies were the only ones who were willing to support this music,” says Viktoras Diawara, musician and Director of Loftas, one of the busiest music clubs in Vilnius, organized a private music festival.
“I still remember my first concert was in 1991: AC/DC. There also were ultra-religious groups, distributed flyers, and on which that concert-goers would burn in hell. And that’s only because the songs ‘Highway to Hell’ or ‘Hell’s Bells’ were called. Kind of the opposite today is quite similar, with the setting of the alcohol,” says Diawara. “Of course, Lithuania has a massive alcohol problem and we need to do something. But I do not think that such a radical policy is working. I grew up in Germany, where you can drink already with 16 legal beer. But if someone German would say, the were all alcoholics, as I would speak.”
Concerts and alcohol – an inseparable Couple?
Obviously, beer and Live music are together so far – not only culturally but also financially. Many of the leading music festivals in Europe such as Rock am Ring in the Eifel, the 02. June starts, or Roskilde in Denmark, are sponsored by beer companies. Open’er is the largest Open-Air Festival in Poland, has been separated only recently from its previous name “Heineken Open’er”.
The sale of alcohol has made it possible to get also expensive Acts such as Lady Gaga or Elton John to Lithuania
Education vs. restrictions
Organisers of major music events in Lithuania have expressed concern that the country intersects with the restrictions in the foot, instead of being a role model for others: “Every concert is a mixed calculation. This also includes the revenue from the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages. If the sale of alcohol is restricted or even prohibited, you must raise the organizers, the ticket prices,” says Aleksandras Karablikovas, head of the company organized “Live Nation Lithuania”, the concerts of pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Depeche Mode or Elton John in Lithuania. “I do not believe that restrictions solve the alcohol problems in Lithuania. But you will affect the music market. In the past five to eight years, the Lithuanians have changed their life style. Jogging is a mass sports and a lot more people are thinking about their health. Because it needs to go – educate people so that they take more responsibility for their health,” says Karablikovas.
Government: New rules for alcohol consumption, it must
According to the world health organization (WHO) drinking an average Lithuanians of 18.2 litres of pure alcohol per year – twice as much as a Spaniard or a Swede. Thus, Lithuanians are not only in Europe, the strongest drinkers, but also in the world. The OECD in 2013 was similar to the Numbers: While alcohol consumption declined in Europe slowly increased the Rate in Lithuania faster than in any other EU country during the last decade. The reason for the new ruling coalition of “Federation of farmers” and “Green”, the realities of alcohol policy. Coalition leader Ramūnas Karbauskis proudly announced that he himself had drunk in his life, yet not a drop of alcohol.
German’s drink an average of 11.4 litres of pure alcohol in a year
Strictest Alcohol laws in Europe
According to the law, which has now been adopted by the Lithuanian Parliament, will be banned alcohol advertising from next year, the minimum age of 18 to 20 can be raised and also the sale of alcohol to under-20-Year-old at public events. In addition, the sale will be limited in the future time: Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 20 PM and on Sunday from 10 till 15 o’clock, instead of, as previously, daily from 8 to 22 o’clock.
In another small European country, in Iceland, the minimum age of 20 years. In most of the countries on the continent, the minimum age of 18 applies, however, in Germany and some other countries, beer and wine may be already drunk 16. Similar advertising bans such as in Lithuania, there is only in Norway, France, and Russia, in the Baltic country, the new rules are the most restrictive.
Dalia Grybauskaitė, Lithuania’s President
The adopted law is a slightly watered-down Version of the origin draft, which provided for a blanket ban on alcohol at public events – regardless of age. Before the law comes into force, must still agree to President Dalia Grybauskaitė, in the last instance, of which, however, generally is assumed.
People want to be able to decide for itself
The legislative initiative is controversial: More than 40 local music promoter and artists signed an open letter in which they asked the Parliament to adopt the law. 16. May have played even some of the biggest Acts of Lithuania in the free concert, “Freedom for Rock ‘n’ Roll”, next to the Parliament building and made sure that everyone can decide for himself how he wants to celebrate – whether with or without alcohol. It was the first major protest concert since the demonstrations against the Soviet Union.
“27 years ago, rock music was the greatest weapon of freedom fighters,” wrote Rimvydas Valatka, an influential columnist and one of the signers of the Declaration of independence in 1990, on Facebook. “I never thought that we would need such a concert ever, to turn us against our own government.”
Now that alcohol may only be sold to a minimum of 20-Year-old, will meet the music festivals hard. Not only the age group of 18 to 20-makes Year most of the visitors, the advertising ban also means the elimination of the main sponsors.
Festivals without alcohol becoming more and more popular
But there are also Festivals that operate without sponsors in the alcoholic drinks: for example, “Butserfest,” according to organizers, the largest drug-free Festival in the UK, which has been running since 2007. Bands such as You Me at Six and Young Guns were here already. Also the Buddha field, another British Festival, decided not to sell alcohol. Founded in 1992, the Festival is based on Buddhist values and the visitors: “get into the spirit … but leave the spirits at home asks, therefore,” – “get in the mood, but leave the Fuel at home”. The Festival annually attracts 1500 people.
Larger Festivals are also focused on becoming stronger ums alcohol-free celebrations. The American Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, has this year U2, The Weeknd, and Lorde in the Line-up, hosted “Soberoo”-(from the English. sober – sober) for those who want to experience the concerts without noise. To come to each of the four daily Meetings more than 50 people, of dry alcoholics and former drug addicts to people, which is simply a matter of the music.
For the most part, a great Alcohol at the Festival is part of it, of course
Music is a different experience
“The music works quite different when you’re sober”, says Simonas Dailidė, organizer of the alcohol-free festival “Varom!” in Lithuania. “I was on all of the major Festivals in Lithuania and also to many international: It is completely impossible to meet sober people, especially at night. And drunk people don’t really about the music.”
Earlier Dailidė even drank a lot of alcohol, it had but eventually tired of it. Therefore, he cried, “Varom!” to life, to prove that you can have a whole new party experience. Since its inception in 2013, most of the most important Acts of Lithuania, have occurred with him. No one got beat for the invitation, he says.
Dailidė also supports the plans for the new alcohol policy in Lithuania. “In no other country as much is drunk as is the case with us. We can’t be looking at other solutions, we need to find them yourself. Lithuania is in need of a drastic change. If we do this, we will be a global role model.”