"
The figures are distressing
", judge, lapidary, the press release from the Addictions France association. Out of 384 stores tested in Loire-Atlantique and Finistère, only 28 complied with the ban on the sale of alcohol to minors, in force for those under 18 since 2009, the age being set at 16 years previously. . To achieve this result, the association recruited “
mystery shoppers
”, minors aged 16 and 17. More than eight times out of ten, the identity card is not requested, and when it is requested the sale is carried out in six cases out of ten. "
What impressed me was when we were asked for the identity card and we were allowed to pass
", testifies a mystery client who operated in Finistère.
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This “
testing
”
phase
took place in two stages.
In October 2020, mystery shoppers were deployed to identify businesses where the purchase of alcohol is possible for minors.
“
An awareness campaign was offered to these stores.
Through an educational approach, it was important that stakeholders understand the risks associated with alcohol consumption by adolescents and that they commit to ensuring that the law is respected within their establishments,
”explains Addiction France.
However, this awareness has not borne fruit.
“
In fact, the second phase of the operation carried out in these same points of sale does not indicate any change in behavior.
The signs continue to illegally sell alcohol to minors
”.
"
In 2019, at the instigation of Mildeca, more than 20,000 points of sale signed a Charter of responsible commitments relating to the sale of alcohol, brands must now take action and stop violating the law to the detriment of adolescent health
, ”asks the association.
The association calls for drastic measures
“
It's always annoying to have to police [...].
We want to remain traders [...], to keep them as customers because they still buy things.
And for these things we can lose them as customers and they will go elsewhere, to the competition
”, testifies a store manager quoted by the press release.
However, "
the earlier alcohol consumption sets in in life, the higher the risk of dependence and the onset of health problems in adulthood
," recalls the association.
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To remedy this, the association asks the public authorities to initiate a national plan for the protection of young people vis-à-vis alcohol. It also recommends strengthening the control of mandatory signage relating to the prohibition of the sale of alcohol to minors in large-scale retail chains, establishing checks on compliance with the prohibition on the sale of alcohol to minors. through
regular
testing
operations
, to facilitate the process of checking the age of customers by cashier staff by encouraging the implementation of a system for automatically calculating the customer's age from the customer's card.identity and develop training systems for staff in mass distribution that take into account the constraints of the profession. "
Experienced for the first time in adolescence, alcohol consumption becomes regular (10 times or more per month) for 8% of 17-year-olds, while 40 to 50% of them declare having at least one alcoholic drink. occasional important (5 glasses or more on a single occasion) per month
”, recalled a study the INSERM published in June 2021.
