Government weighs giving Budapest districts power to limit night sales of tobacco shops

The Hungarian government is assessing whether municipalities can impose night-time restrictions on tobacco shops. Mayors of central Budapest districts—including Baranyi Krisztina (Ferencváros), Niedermüller Péter (Erzsébetváros), Pikó András (Józsefváros), Soproni Tamás (Terézváros) and Tóth József (Angyalföld)—issued a joint declaration stating that the interior minister backs granting local authorities genuine regulatory powers over national tobacco outlets, and a draft amendment is being prepared.

While commercial law permits districts to set shop hours between 22:00 and 06:00, national legislation currently governs tobacco shop operations, preventing simple night closures. The districts cite issues such as street drinking, noise, litter, violence and public urination that they say undermine residents' sense of safety. Lengyel Antal, head of the Magyar Dohány Kiskereskedők Szövetsége, acknowledges the safety concerns but warns that granting such powers could break the uniform, predictable regulatory framework and drive consumers to black-market sources.

The initiative also seeks to ban nighttime alcohol sales in these shops. No decision timeline was provided.