The end of prohibition in the Czech Republic

Prohibice/Prohibition has ended © Ricky Yates

Before I get back to blogging about truly ‘spiritual matters’, (please forgive the obvious pun 🙂 ), I thought I’d better explain the current situation regarding the ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks exceeding 20% proof which has been the subject of my two most recent posts. As can be seen in this photograph, the ban was partially lifted on Thursday 27th September, much to the pleasure our nearby whisky bar.

Since Thursday 27th September, the Czech Ministry of Health has allowed the sale of any liquor that can be shown to have been produced before 31st December 2011. As far as liquor produced this year is concerned, retailers must get a certificate of the alcohol’s origin within 60 days. Otherwise these bottles must be destroyed.

The death toll from the current . . . → Read More: The end of prohibition in the Czech Republic

A week after the ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks exceeding 20% proof in the Czech Republic

The empty shelves in our local Kaufland supermarket © Ricky Yates

Whilst I have a couple of new posts in mind, one of which is already written but needs to be edited to take into account the advice of my best critic, aka Sybille, I thought that in the meantime, I would offer an update on my most recent post from one week ago – the current prohibition in the Czech Republic, of the sale of all alcoholic drinks exceeding 20% proof.

The photograph on the left is of some of the empty shelves in our local Kaufland supermarket following the implementation of the ban. In the middle of the shelves, is a notice on a yellow piece of paper, giving details of the banning order issued by the Czech Ministry of Health.

Whilst the reasoning behind this draconian measure is understandable, not . . . → Read More: A week after the ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks exceeding 20% proof in the Czech Republic

The consequences of contaminated bootleg liquor in the Czech Republic

The shelves of our local Kaufland supermarket being cleared of all bottles of spirits more than 20% proof © Sybille & Ricky Yates

Earlier this evening, I saw something I never ever expected to see – the shelves of our local Kaufland supermarket being completely cleared of every bottle of alcoholic drink that is more than 20% proof. The reason for this drastic action is to try and prevent further deaths and injuries from rum and vodka, contaminated by poisonous methanol, which have already claimed the lives of nineteen people in the Czech Republic and two more in Poland. It has also put up to thirty others into hospital, several of whom have lost their sight.

Whilst the contaminated liquor that is responsible for these deaths and injuries is bootlegged/illegal in origin, some of it has been sold in bottles bearing a legitimate . . . → Read More: The consequences of contaminated bootleg liquor in the Czech Republic