The Central Prague Region has long worked to calm down the streets in its area, where the quiet of night is repeatedly violated. One of the new tools in the fight against disturbance of the night peace is banning public drinking of alcohol in the whole of Prague 1, which the City Hall wants to legalize by an upcoming municipal decree. On Wednesday, 13 October, the councilors of the central city district approved it, and now the new order has been sent to the City of Prague for the final approval.
Night streets frequently look like a war zone or a music festival rather than the streets of the capital city’s most central district, with residents continuously complaining about the disturbing condition. A series of meetings between officials of the Prague 1 Municipal District and the state have taken place in the last year, searching for individual measures. The goal was to determine and adopt legislative changes. The initial legislation, which consisted of a list of streets where alcohol drinking was forbidden, was proven difficult and confusing for people. As a result, Prague 1 proposed that the new regulation extend the prohibition to its entire region.
“Unfortunately, we are still dealing with violations of the night peace, which are caused mainly by people drinking in the streets. In cooperation with the Police of the Czech Republic, the municipal police, and with our resources, we are actively fighting against such negative phenomena, “says Petr Hejma, the mayor of Prague 1.
“This new legislative instrument can help us significantly in this fight, just as it is already helping in other European cities. All decent residents and tourists would still consume beer or other liquor in pubs and front gardens. There is no need to drink alcohol in the street and disturb neighbors during the process. We don’t want a depopulated downtown, but everyone to have a good time by showing mutual respect. We want to get rid of the reputation of the center of Prague, where alcoholics from all corners of the world feel they can do whatever they want, “adds Hejma.
The ban on drinking alcohol in public spaces at night would apply between 22:00 and 06:00, i.e., during the nighttime hours. Another proposed change is a ban on people in public areas with an open bottle or other containers of an alcoholic beverage. This is considered by current case law to be a precondition to the actual use of alcohol, which the municipal authorities may regulate.