New rules on the sale of alcohol have already come into force as of Wednesday, 25 June, in Porto, Portugal, with the sale of alcohol for consumption in public places banned between 21:00 pm and 8:00 am.
This is the third change to the regulations that came into force on 1 March 2023, and also includes the extension of the so-called Restriction Zone, which will cover almost the entire area of downtown Porto.
In this area, the sale of alcoholic beverages after 9:00 pm is only allowed in cafes, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. This excludes shops such as supermarkets, grocery stores, souvenir shops and liquor stores.
The Restriction Zone will cover the entire central district of the city, including the area of the Rua de Galeria de Paris nightclubs.
‘The phenomenon of drinking alcohol on the streets has an impact on safety,’ explained Filipa Correia Pinto, from the Porto City Council, and guaranteed that there will be ‘very strict controls with heavy penalties to reinforce the sense of security of citizens and ensure the organisation of public spaces’.
According to the mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, another ‘important’ change to the alcohol consumption regulation is the revision of the sanctioning framework applicable to violations of the regulation, with the introduction of a mechanism for the preventive closure of non-compliant establishments.
‘In certain circumstances and duly justified, the enforcement agencies may proceed to the immediate closure of the establishment that does not comply with the revised regulation,’ he said.
A campaign to raise awareness about the new rules is planned to be implemented in the coming days, believing that these changes will satisfy not only residents, but also economic operators, and will certainly improve the quality of nightlife.
The new rules were designed to address the Portuguese city’s ‘bottellon’ culture, as reported by the Daily Mail. ‘Bottelon’ is a Spanish term for people gathering on the street for the purpose of drinking alcohol rather than visiting a bar or restaurant, and can cause significant problems such as public anti-social behaviour. This custom originated in neighbouring Spain, but has now spread to Portugal, where it is becoming increasingly popular, worrying local authorities and the Portuguese government.
