Pärnu mayor takes stand against public drinking

Photo: Ants Liigus / Pärnu Postimees

Mayor of Pärnu Toomas Kivimägi does not think they have crossed the law while banning public drinking in city centre. As mediated by Public Broadcasting, ministry of justice does not deem the limits imposed in Pärnu to be sufficiently justified.

According to Mr Kivimägi, the city has not violated the spirit of the law. «We have a very high concentration of people in the city centre, with very many children around as well. To walk down the Rüütli Street with a bottle of vodka in hand – this is plain propaganda of alcohol. I do not want the children to partake of that,» said he. The mayor added that Pärnu city centre features two dozen squares and plazas mainly for children, and to cut them all out separately by specific regulations would be absurd. 

«Pärnu is the only city in Estonia belonging to the WHO healthy cities network. Within that context, such liberalisation of alcohol would be a message altogether unacceptable,» added Mr Kivimägi.