Alcohol Retail Trade Low Enforcement in Lithuania: Towards a Problem-Solving Oriented Control

Abstract

The article analyses the practical problems of the law enforcement of the retail trade of alcohol. It is based on the data of scientific literature, legal acts, and 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews with the experts who conduct the supervision and control of the retail trade of alcohol at the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department, the State Food and Veterinary Service, police commissariats, and municipal administration licensing departments. The research concludes that the reactive control is conditioned by the residents’ complaints about the harm caused by illegal trade and abuse of alcohol. The complaints that the holders of alcohol retail trade licenses violate the technical requirements included in the license, e.g. for the storage location or the type of alcohol sold, are very rare. The efficiency of reactive supervision and control is hindered by the undefined amount of alcohol consumed in the location and the unrestricted carrying of alcohol in an open container, the illegitimacy of the method of secret shopper, and the restrictions imposed on inspections checking for illegal alcohol. Meanwhile, the proactive control is still emerging, because the information is being gathered and inspections are planned, but there are no clear goals associated with damage control or evaluation of inspection efficiency.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.13.3.8388