Sale of alcohol prohibited on December 31 from 4 p.m.: in Ille-et-Vilaine, the decree that annoys

REPORTAGE

After a very complicated year, it is the little drop of alcohol that is overflowing the Rennes wine merchants.

This little drop is a prefectural decree taken on December 22 for New Year's Eve.

To "avoid any overflow", the prefect of Ille-et-Vilaine has indeed decided to issue a decree prohibiting the sale of alcohol to take away on December 31 from 4 pm, throughout the department.

A decision that annoys wine merchants, but also the managers of local supermarkets.

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"Why do we make an order at 4 pm? If people want to drink alcohol, they will do so in any case. It is a misunderstanding," laments to Europe 1 Nicolas Beillard, from the cellar L'Epicurien, reindeer.

The man is worried about his finances.

"The 31st is a big, big day. From 4 pm, it is 30% of our figure, it is not nothing. There are all the time latecomers and it is often beautiful purchases. They are in a hurry, suddenly it will look for nice bottles. Lots of champagne. "

"I think we're all just gonna buy our bottles on the 30th"

The supermarkets of Ille-et-Vilaine fear for their part of strong tension that day.

“Concretely, we will withdraw purchases at the checkout, when people show up with bottles of alcohol,” explains Rémy Langlois, boss of a Super U. “It's not up to our checkout attendants to manage the problems , they are not paid for that. We will therefore take an external security service. "

With this decision, the prefect of Ille-et-Vilaine wants to prevent him from overflowing on the 31st. But it is not won.

"I'm not sure it's very useful. I think we'll just all buy our bottles on the 30th. Fortunately I know it now, suddenly," smiles this young Rennaise.

"It's still the end of year party, we had a pretty difficult year, so everyone will definitely want to forget this year by celebrating and saying to themselves' today 'hui, everything is permitted'. "