Denmark: One third of retailers sell tobacco and alcohol to minors

A recent survey in Denmark shows that a third of retailers agree to sell tobacco or alcohol to minors, even though such a practice is prohibited by law.

In Denmark, the sale of any tobacco or nicotine product to a person under 18 is strictly prohibited. For alcohol, the regulations are slightly different from those in France, since drinks with an alcohol content ranging from 1.2° to 16.5° are only prohibited up to the age of 16. For more alcoholic drinks, their sale is prohibited to those under 18.

A mystery shopper study to understand the usual sales practices in Denmark

The Danish Safety Authority has employed minors aged 15 to 17 as part of a mystery shopper study to verify the proper application of the law concerning the ban on the sale of tobacco and alcohol to minors. This type of survey involves sending a teenager to a point of sale, accompanied by an adult standing back. Since the retailer is not informed that an investigation is underway in his store, the mystery shopper visit methodology provides objective and unbiased information, reflecting the reality of the seller's usual practices. Of the more than 600 points of sale that were inspected, almost a third of them accepted the sale of tobacco or alcohol (195), indicating insufficient application of the regulations, and therefore easy access to these products by teenagers.

A methodology criticized by professional associations

Although mystery shopping surveys are a proven method regularly used by public health stakeholders, such as the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT) in France, trade associations have expressed their discontent, considering that such practices amount to incitement to commit offences. Jannick Nytoft, director of Samvirkende Købmænd, a Danish trade association of supermarkets, convenience stores and convenience stores, considers that the use of this investigative method, generally used for crimes related to hard drugs, is disproportionate. According to him, the Danish Safety Authority's investigation would amount to "shooting sparrows with cannons". However, such statements tend to reflect the trivialisation of tobacco and alcohol, which are precisely the category of hard drugs, and whose sale to minors constitutes a major health issue.

Compliance with regulations: France far behind Denmark

While the results of the Danish Safety Authority's survey indicate that tobacco and alcohol are highly accessible to adolescents, the study shows that regulations are better respected there than in France. Thus, in 2023, the NGO Addictions France carried out 42 mystery shopping visits to bars, cafes and fast food restaurants in Loire-Atlantique, revealing a worrying reality: in Nantes and six other municipalities in the department, all the bars, cafes and fast food restaurants tested, with the exception of one, sold alcohol to minors.

In 2022, a similar study conducted by the National Committee against Smoking showed that 64% tobacconists agreed to sell tobacco to 17-year-olds. In 2023, the same association showed that four out of ten tobacconists sold disposable e-cigarettes to minors. Such a difference in the application of the law can partly be explained by the differences in the levels of penalties provided for. In France, failure to comply with this ban exposes the seller to the fine provided for 4th class contraventions (€135 fixed - €750 maximum). In Denmark, the first fine for selling tobacco to a minor amounts to DKK 25,000, or approximately €3,350.

©Tobacco Free Generation

FT

[1] DR, Hver tredje butik taget i at sælge alkohol eller tobak til mindreårige, 01/08/2024, consulted on 14/08/2024