Its Parliament Latvia On Thursday, amendments to the Law on Support for the Civilian Population of Ukraine were approved, which also provide for the possibility of transferring state vehicles to the ownership of the Ukrainian government.

“We could sell cars seized from drunk drivers, handing them over for processing or for dismantling for spare parts, but we see that in the current conditions this will be a useful support for the people of Ukraine,” said the head of the administration, Raymond Bergmanis. Defense Committee of the Latvian Parliament.

It should be noted that the decision to supply specific vehicles to Ukraine was made at the suggestion of the Minister of Finance of Latvia Arvils Azerandens and was supported by the ruling coalition of parties.

The decision to transfer the seized cars for the needs of the Ukrainian state in any case will be taken by the government of Latvia. Cars will be transported by an organization that works with the government of Ukraine and accepts requests for assistance.

One shot… three sparrows

Thus, the Latvian government not only discourages drunk driving and strengthens wartime Ukraine, but also indirectly punishes as well as the import and consumption of vodka, in which Latvia is the champion in Central and Eastern Europe.

According to official data from the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol consumption (in terms of pure alcohol) among the population of Latvia aged 15 and over is 12.9 liters per year, which is significantly higher than the European average of 9.8 liters. in year. Especially for men in Latvia, the average is 25.1 liters per year.

According to 2016 WHO data, 40% of the pure alcohol consumed by Latvians is hard liquor such as vodka (beer leads at 43%), the origin of which in the Latvian market usually comes from neighboring Russia. In fact, the consumption and illegal trade of vodka has increased significantly in recent years, according to the country’s government.

In 2020, Latvia was the leading importer of vodka in Central and Eastern Europe, delivering 17,140 tons to less than 2 million inhabitants, according to official EU import data. The second was neighboring Lithuania with 14,070 tons of vodka. The main source of imported vodka is, of course, Russia, although smuggling makes it difficult to accurately measure the quantity.

Source: Delphi, Ukrinform, WHO, Statista