The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in public is subject to legal age limits. However, we often hear or read in the media that so-called binge drinking among children and young people continues unchecked. The public order office of the municipality of Rüdersdorf near Berlin is taking action to sensitise shop assistants and sales outlet managers to this issue and to insist on strict compliance with the Youth Protection Act.
The Youth Protection Act regulates the age limit at which certain alcoholic beverages may be sold to young people or consumed in public. Alcohol is generally prohibited for children under the age of 14, while all alcoholic beverages are permitted from the age of 18. There are special regulations for the age groups in between.
Alcohol produced by fermentation, such as beer, wine or sparkling wine, may be sold to people aged 16 and over. At supermarket checkouts and petrol stations, "no alcohol under the age of 16" applies.
This age limit is reduced to 14 if young people are accompanied to a pub by a parent or guardian who expressly authorises consumption. The sale or consumption of spirits and drinks containing spirits in restaurants, supermarkets or other points of sale is only permitted from the age of 18.
According to § 9 of the Youth Protection Act, in restaurants, sales outlets or other places open to the public
- Beer, wine, wine-like drinks or sparkling wine or mixtures of beer, wine, wine-like drinks or sparkling wine with non-alcoholic drinks to children and young people under the age of 16,
- other alcoholic beverages or foodstuffs containing other alcoholic beverages in more than small quantities to children and adolescents
nor may they be permitted to consume them.
"A beer to go, please!"
Our mystery shoppers were both only 14 years old. This means that they would not have been allowed to buy alcohol under the Youth Protection Act.
The most recent check in the municipality of Rüdersdorf near Berlin with its three districts of Lichtenow, Hennickendorf and Herzfelde produced shocking results. 8 of the 13 shops visited failed to fulfil their duty and did not properly check the young people's IDs.
Together with the public order office, our 14-year-old test subjects were out and about in a total of 13 shops, from petrol stations and drinks shops to supermarkets. Our test subjects were asked to buy beer, mixed beer drinks, wine, wine-like drinks or sparkling wine.
The young people aged 14 were sold several mixed beer drinks (2.3 to 5 per cent by volume), two fruit wine cocktails (5.9 and 7 per cent by volume) and two sparkling wines (5.9 and 11 per cent by volume) and beer (4.9 per cent by volume) in 8 of the 13 shops inspected. The sellers had misjudged the age of the test persons or had not even asked to see their ID. A total of 12 offences against the Youth Protection Act were detected.
Immediately after each purchase, the employees of the public order office returned to the shop with the corpus delicti and confronted the sales assistants and shop managers. In most cases, the employees concerned said that they normally always make sure that no alcohol is sold to children and young people in accordance with the Youth Protection Act. Or they said that they thought the mystery shoppers were older. This showed all the more how important it is to always ask to see the customer's ID if you are not quite sure of their age.
However, there were also some bright spots during this year's inspection. At 5 shops, including petrol stations, supermarkets and a restaurant in the municipality of Rüdersdorf near Berlin, we could only congratulate the employees. They saw through our test subjects, asked for ID and did not sell them any alcohol.
Once again it has been shown that it is necessary to carry out strict controls to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Youth Protection Act. The public order office of the municipality of Rüdersdorf near Berlin will carry out further test purchases at irregular intervals to protect young people and children.