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The decision to host the most recent World Cup in Qatar was a controversial one for a number of reasons; the country’s questionable record on human rights was obviously the biggest point of concern, but plenty of fans were also less than thrilled with the country’s stance on alcohol consumption.
While Qatar had originally pledged to allow vendors to peddle beer at the stadiums hosting the matches, it reversed course less than a week before the tournament was scheduled to kick off—a development that understandably didn’t sit well with many spectators who weren’t shy about vocally airing their grievances.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest France is just a bit more progressive than Qatar on plenty of major issues, but according to Reuters, the country has opted to adopt a similar stance on booze ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
It’s safe to assume most people who will be making the trek to France for the Summer Olympics are looking forward to enjoying some of the country’s legendary wine, and while they’ll be able to do exactly that at its many restaurants and bistros, they’ll need to do some pregaming if they want to catch a buzz while watching the actual event.
The culprit is Evin’s Law, which banned the sale of alcohol inside sporting venues after it was passed in 1991. While organizers could’ve petitioned for an exemption ahead of the 2024 Olympics, they declined to do so, which means the stadiums and areans will be dry during the event.
The outlet notes Tokyo had also planned to ban alcohol sales prior to the Summer Olympics that were supposed to be held in 2020, but that measure was moot when you consider no fans were in attendance when it commenced without any spectators in the wake of the pandemic (beer and wine were sold in London and Rio when they respectively hosted in 2016 and 2012).
At least you’ve been warned.