A "mystery shoppers" test carried out in Belgium highlighted how easily minors are able to buy alcohol and tobacco despite it being against the law.
The Belgian Ministry of Health conducted a large-scale monitoring campaign throughout Belgium this summer. It deployed 26 young people aged 15, 16 or 17 to act as "mystery shoppers" to test whether shops and catering establishments respect the rules around the sale of alcohol and tobacco. They tried to carry out a purchase while an experienced public health inspector observed the situation anonymously.
After more than 1,000 checks, the body announced on Friday that the preliminary results are "striking and raise questions about compliance with current legislation."
"The infringement figures from this campaign are significantly higher than those from regular checks, which are done through observation of catering and commercial establishments," it noted, adding that this created the illusion of good compliance.
Minimum age for selling alcohol and tobacco in Belgium
Traders (night shops, grocery stores, petrol stations,...) and catering operators (restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels) in Belgium are prohibited from:
- selling, serving or offering alcohol (beer and wine) to people under the age of 16;
- selling, serving or offering spirits (gin, vodka,...) to people under the age of 18
- selling tobacco products and e-cigarettes to people under the age of 18
Sellers may ask for proof of age, such as an identity card or other official document. If in doubt, the seller is advised to refuse, as they always remain responsible if these products are sold to minors.
More than 70% of checked retailers failed to respect the age limit when selling tobacco or e-cigarettes. When it comes to selling alcohol, the findings were even more worrying: almost 90% were found to be at fault. For beer and wine (prohibited to young people under 16), 80% of checked stores failed to comply with the law.
Remarkably, with 70% infringements, night shops performed the best during these unexpected tests, while the highest percentage of violations is found at supermarkets and petrol stations (80%).
Repeated action
It is the first time that the administration has used underage mystery shoppers, an approach adopted from the Netherlands and France, but the disconcerting results could see the tactic being used more often against the sale of tobacco and alcohol to young people.
"I will immediately investigate what is needed to deploy mystery shoppers not only for raising awareness but also as an effective control tool to fine offending traders," Frank Vandenbroucke, Federal Health Minister, said.
Normally, shopkeepers who fail to stick to the law would face fines between €200 and €24,000, and in the case of recidivism, could even face temporary closure. However, this specific campaign aimed to identify the problem and raise awareness on the issue: "all checked cases will receive a letter with the results," the Ministry said. If the campaign is repeated, however, fines will likely be involved.
Vandenbroucke added that the figures also show that the alcohol and tobacco plan, approved in March this year, is much needed. "I will therefore strengthen the existing controls. Our plans also include measures to reduce the availability of alcohol and tobacco by limiting the places and/or hours where sales are allowed."
