Kujalleq suspends alcohol sales to protect children

Authorities in Greenland’s southern Kujalleq municipality have approved a temporary ban on alcohol sales and serving, after the mayor warned that drinking was harming children. DR reports that alcohol consumption is generally falling in Greenland, but serious problems persist.

Mayor Malene Vahl Rasmussen said the ban followed concerns about alcohol-related effects on children’s wellbeing. The decision came after payday, when many people spent their wages on alcohol, according to DR reporter Cecilie Kallestrup. She also pointed to recent fatal incidents linked to drinking in southern Greenland.

“If we are to protect our children, we have to set limits,” Rasmussen wrote. Greenland’s government said the temporary closure was intended to remove threats to children’s welfare and public safety, citing recent fatal incidents and residents’ concerns.

Kallestrup said some people in the region support the municipality taking responsibility. Greenland’s municipalities are also using awareness campaigns and warnings to encourage residents not to spend money on alcohol at the expense of children’s welfare.

Alcohol sales have been restricted in other parts of Greenland before. In 2020, during the pandemic, the then-government halted sales in Nuuk, Kapisillit and Qeqertarsuatsiaat, citing efforts to prevent infection and protect children. The following year, sales were stopped in Tasiilaq. Greenland already has a more restrictive alcohol policy than Denmark.