Legislation's purposes include reducing late night noise in the neighborhood, traffic crashes, violence, and alcohol related health problems.
A six-hour daily closure period applies to new licenses (and extended hours authorizations) granted from 30 October 2008, which is nominated depending on individual and community circumstances.
Many bars, KTVs and nightclubs have no specific last call and will continue to sell alcohol and stay open provided there are paying customers present.
[4] The prescribed working hours for bars are a frequent point of contention between city authorities and local businessmen, particularly during the summer tourist season.
[5] Bars are allowed to serve drinks until 1:30 a.m., but a provincial government may at the proprietor's request, grant extensions up to 4 a.m. Extensions require the establishment to maintain a higher standard of amenities, service and entertainment by, for example, providing a coat check, entertainment programming such as a DJ or live music, and even general cleanliness and "look and feel" count.
In 1994, Stelios Papathemelis, the Minister for Public Order, passed a law mandating closing of all bars at 2 a.m.
Though few bars actually close at that time, they are forced to pay the "back-door" tax to the municipality, with no recourse to the national government.
A number of bars are contemplated closing at the required time and during internationally promoted events such as Gay Pride Week in protest of the city's underhanded hypocrisy in promoting itself as "the city that never sleeps" but also fining the very establishments that make it such a hot tourist spot.
[citation needed] Alcohol is no longer sold around the clock in grocery stores, and no sales are allowed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Italy does not have a legally mandated closing time.
In Rome, an ordinance was passed in January 2009 to make 2 a.m. the last call in Campo de' Fiori and the neighbourhoods of Trastevere and Testaccio.
[10] The new last call time for these areas was initiated to curtail nighttime commotion in those popular parts of Rome.
In Sweden, explicit last calls do not take place, as it would violate a political principle not to encourage people to drink more.
The latest allowed closing time of bars and restaurant is decided by the municipality but regulated by national laws and rules.
But in many cities a later time can be allowed on some conditions, like high security and staff educated in responsible serving of alcohol.
Standard closing time was 11 pm, but increased flexibility was allowed in November 2005 under the Licensing Act 2003.