Young people still obtain alcohol illegally
Published: Tuesday, Jul 2nd 2024, 10:10
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Young people in Switzerland continue to obtain alcohol illegally. According to Addiction Switzerland, beer, wine and spirits were sold illegally in over a quarter of cases in 2023. Effective age controls are needed, especially in the online sector.
At 27.3%, the figure remained unchanged compared to the previous year, as reported by Addiction Switzerland on Tuesday. This was shown by the alcohol test purchases carried out by public or private institutions in 2023.
Overall, the results showed no significant improvement compared to the previous year. In 78.2 percent of cases, the sales or service staff asked for age and/or ID.
There were differences according to the type of sales outlets. Petrol station stores had the comparatively lowest rate of violations with 17.6% illegal sales, followed by chain stores and large retailers, according to the report. According to Addiction Switzerland, the worst performers were events with a total of 44.2 percent of illegal sales.
There are major gaps in the enforcement of youth protection in the online sector. Almost nine out of ten of the 156 young people had received alcohol after ordering online from catering establishments. In no case had the age been checked when the order was placed. And on delivery, only 14.3% were asked for their age or an ID card, according to the report.
In further tests at 115 online stores, which were limited to the ordering process, age was verified in only around 8 percent of cases with a copy of an ID card or using a digital identity.
Addiction Switzerland analyzed the more than 13,000 test purchases on behalf of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. Never before have so many tests been taken into account for a national evaluation, it said.
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