The vast majority of spectators at the Olympics in Paris will not be able to catch a buzz while watching any of the events. A 32-year-old law makes it illegal to serve alcohol at most sporting events in France.
As a result, Parisian bars will be packed with fans who are trying to get as much booze in their bodies as possible before getting to the next competition!
There is a caveat to this law, however. Alcohol can be served at a sporting event if it is accompanied by a full meal so people in VIP seats are able to drink while watching the action.
Everybody else is out of luck. Olympic venues are only offering the following non-alcoholic beverages:
- 16-ounce Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite: $5.43
- 13.5-ounce Fuze Tea, Tropico: $5.43
- Sparkling water — $3.80
- 16-ounce non-alcoholic beer: $8.69
- 13.5-ounce non-alcoholic beer with lemon juice: $6.52
Food options include:
- Hot dog: $10.32
- Cheeseburger: $11.94
- French fries: $3.80
- Egg muffin: $8.69
- Chicken sandwich: $9.23
- Sandwich ciabatta mozzarella: $9.23
- Popcorn: $4.89
- Small chips: $4.34
- Large chips: $8.14
- Chocolate chip cookie: $3.80
By law, vendors cannot sell individual food items with alcohol. It must be a complete meal that is established as such.
The legislative restriction dates back to 1991. Loi Évin, which translates to Evin’s Law, banned alcohol advertisements on T.V. and in movie theaters as well as the sale of alcohol to the general public in sports venues. The country is granted 10 exemptions each year but there are far more than 10 events at the Olympics and a special exemption was not granted for the Games. No booze!
It’s going to be a scorcher in Paris (relatively speaking) over the next two weeks of competition, so perhaps it is for the best that a bunch of boozed-up barbarians aren’t wreaking havoc in the heat. Even still, it’s a bummer for the people who took a trip to the Olympics and wanted to enjoy a beer with their field hockey or archery!