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Comment by ejolto | Hacker News Reader

In Norway you can get up to 6 months in prison for selling alcohol that is over 60% ethanol by volume. Up to 2 years if the offense is "particularly serious".

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Selling is a different story from possession. I think most countries require a license to sell alcohol.

Oh yeah, I forgot about Norway. I have a (Czech) friend there, they have to pull down the sunblinds when they want to drink a beer. Seems insane to me, also a Czech guy.

That doesn't sound right. You are allowed to drink beer on your own property, or in bars. You are not allowed to drink beer in public spaces, but the police will enforce that differently depending on the region.

I think it has something to do with them having children.

Drinking with children present is taboo but not illegal. So that kind of makes sense if they have nosy neighbors.

As a Norwegian I can tell you that your friend is pulling your leg. You are free to drink on private property. I have never heard about anyone being arrested for responsible drinking in public parks, beaches and places like that.

It's not allowed to serve people that is "visibly intoxicated" but almost no one cares. At a normal Friday and Saturday night, Oslo is a battlefield of shitfaced people.

Oslo is very liberal when it comes to public drinking. It's not uncommon to get fined for drinking in parks in other cities in Norway. I've only heard of someone getting arrested for it once though, and that was because he refused to pour out the beer when requested by a police officer and chugged it instead.

>It's not allowed to serve people that is "visibly intoxicated" but almost no one cares. At a normal Friday and Saturday night, Oslo is a battlefield of shitfaced people.

Strictly speaking the same is true in the UK, but lol.

Section 141 of the Licensing Act 2003:

"(1) A person [...] commits an offence if, on relevant premises, he knowingly—

(a) sells or attempts to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk, or

(b) allows alcohol to be sold to such a person.

[...]

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale."

Where "level 3 on the standard scale" is £1,000.

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