Why fans at Paris 2024 Olympics won't be able to buy beer at any venue
Anyone who was planning on heading over to Paris for the 2024 Olympics and expected to be having a boozy jaunt in a stadium is going to be sorely disappointed.
Almost everyone who has got tickets to see bits of the 2024 Olympics will not be allowed to buy alcohol at the venues where the sporting competitions are taking place.
It's set to be a scorcher in Paris for the Olympics, so remember to slap on the sunscreen and stay hydrated, but if you must drink beer inside the venues then you'll have to stick with the non-alcoholic stuff.
For half a litre of non-alcoholic beer you'll need to be spending €8 (£6.74), while if you want a 400ml drink of zero alcohol beer with some lemon juice in it that'll cost €6 (£5.05).
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This is surely a devastating blow for those who reckoned they'd get sloshed and watch some rhythmic gymnastics, but as the French say, c'est la vie.
It's all to do with a French law that has been in place since 1991 and is known as 'Evin's Law'.
It banned adverts for alcohol on TV or in cinemas, and the sale of alcohol to the general public in sports venues.
In fact, the law also bans sporting competitions from having alcohol brands in their names, so the Heineken Cup was known as the H Cup in France, while the Guinness Six Nations is just called the Six Nations over there.
Each year, there are some events which can apply for exemptions and be granted them, but the Olympic organisers did not seek this status for the games.
The size and scope of the Olympics would have been so large, with over 700 separate events going on over 15 days, that trying to get a blanket exemption would have required a law change, Reuters reported.
Evin's Law allows an organiser an annual exemption limit of 10 events per year, so that'd be nowhere near enough to cover the vast scope of the Olympic Games.
Although alcohol will be off-limits to the general public, some people in VIP seating will still be able to get booze, as those who are being served a meal can also be served alcohol with it.
Alcohol was also going to be banned from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo to make sure they'd be 'safe and secure' during the pandemic.
However, that same pandemic soon resulted in the Olympic organisers deciding that there would be no spectators at all in the stadiums to avoid spreading the deadly virus around.
If you are going to Paris for the Olympics, then do try to be on your best behaviour.
Topics: Food And Drink, Olympics, Sport, World News
Joe Harker