Test purchases show:

Kids are less likely to buy alcohol and tobacco

After disastrous test purchase figures in 2020/21, sellers are now hardly giving alcohol and tobacco to children and young people. This is shown by the latest figures from the Ombudsman for Children and Young People. 

The admonishing words of the Ombudsman for Children and Young People Christian Netzer and the authorities from 2022 have apparently had an effect. Test purchases in 2023 - which examined the extent to which alcohol and tobacco is sold to children and young people - showed that kids were only given alcohol in 22% of cases.

Strikingly, vendors at petrol stations in particular took the law on intoxicants and narcotics very seriously. There, only 15.3% of young people were given an alcoholic drink. In retail, the rate was 24.7 percent.

Lowest value since the test began
Compliance with the laws on tobacco and nicotine products was also tested. In a total of 91 test purchases, a tobacco or nicotine product was handed over to adolescents in only twelve cases. This corresponds to a delivery rate of 13.2 percent - the lowest figure since the test began in 2016.

Child and youth advocate Christian Netzer was pleased with the trend reversal. Recently, the rate of alcohol sales to children and young people had skyrocketed. In 2021, this had risen to 31.73% and in 2022 even to 42.69%.

Letter to tested establishments
The tested establishments were contacted and asked to take the issue of youth protection more seriously again. In future, misconduct would be treated less tolerantly and reported to the police after the second offense. "It remains to be seen whether this trend will be confirmed in 2024 and whether there will be further improvements," said the child and youth advocate.

In any case, the change in the law in 2023, which only allows the sale of snus and nicotine pouches from the age of 18, is to be welcomed.