Greece is set to introduce a new bill in Parliament imposing stricter penalties for businesses supplying alcohol, electronic cigarettes, and vaping devices to minors in the government’s efforts to revamp alcohol laws in Greece.
This is a joint decision made by the ministries of Citizen Protection, Justice, and Health, and it comes after repeated incidents of selling alcohol to under-aged individuals.
In a most recent incident, teenagers were transported to hospital in a comatose state following excessive alcohol consumption in a popular club on Vouliagmeni Avenue in Athens. Of these minors, eight high school students were admitted to hospitals, with one requiring intensive care unit treatment.
According to sources, violators who sell these harmful products to minors could be faced with imprisonment, in addition to financial fines and other administrative penalties, including the immediate closure of the business involved.
Ministerial officials report that past oversights have also been identified regarding the access minors have to these harmful products. Specifically, under the previous SYRIZA government, the number of police officers assigned to enforce the anti-smoking law, for example, had been drastically reduced, penalties had been minimized, and there was also a decision allowing for the use of alcohol by minors in private events (parties).
The Minister of Justice Giorgos Floridis, commenting on the new law said, “Everything is now becoming stricter for the protection of minors, with increased enforcement.”
