Tokyo Olympics Considering Banning Alcohol in Athletes Village
The Tokyo Olympics might be a bit of a buzzkill for athletes looking to party during the games as there’s talk of banning alcohol in the Olympic village.
Per ESPN, “It’s not clear whether alcohol will be allowed in the village, which will house 11,000 Olympic athletes and 4,400 Paralympians. Organizers say they have yet to decide on a policy, which is expected by the end of the month.”
Organizers and other local officials are aiming to mitigate any coronavirus spread or outbreak due to the Summer Olympics, which is set to take place in Tokyo July 23-August 8. So far, one of the measures taken is banning fans from abroad from attending the Olympics as spectators.
The alcohol ban would apply to public dining areas inside Olympic village. However, CEO of the Toyko organizing committee Toshiro Muto said, “In the case that they were to drink inside their own rooms — this is equivalent to cases where we are drinking in our own home.Can we prohibit that? That’s not conceivable. It would be very difficult to do so.”
ESPN notes that news coronavirus cases in the host city have dropped significantly in the past several week and, “Tokyo and much of the rest of the country is under a state of emergency, with many bars and restaurants closing early and banning alcohol sales. The emergency order ends June 20, and it’s not clear whether it will be extended.”
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