Addiction experts have issued a warning regarding the ease with which young people in Switzerland can obtain alcohol illegally. According to Addiction Switzerland, more than a quarter of all

beer, wine, and spirits sales occur through illicit means, with online purchases posing a significant challenge.

In 2023, out of over 13,000 test purchases conducted, 27.3% were deemed illegal, mirroring the figures from 2022. Notably, in 78.2% of these cases, sellers failed to request age verification or identification.

Petrol stations showed the lowest incidence of illegal sales at 17.6%, while chain stores and major retailers followed closely at 27.4%, and cafés and restaurants at 28.5%. Events registered the highest infringement rate at 44.2%.

The enforcement of youth protection laws in online transactions is particularly deficient. Nearly 90% of test purchases made through restaurant delivery platforms resulted in illegal sales to minors, with only 14.3% of cases requiring age verification.

Regarding online shops, age checks were conducted in just 8% of transactions, often through a copy of an ID or digital verification method.

Currently, few cantons have provisions to penalize companies for selling alcohol illegally to minors, but this is expected to change with the implementation of a new article in the Federal Law on Foodstuffs this autumn. Addiction Switzerland anticipates that these legal amendments will enhance enforcement efforts, urging online platforms to adopt more robust age verification systems. Photo by © Ralf Roletschek, Wikimedia commons.