
Every third store illegally sells to minors
In a recent report from the Security Authority, 36% of physical stores in their inspection sold alcohol or tobacco to minors illegally, indicating a stark rise in non-compliance. In the last six months, 362 violations were detected, a thirtyfold increase compared to the previous four years. The Authority’s new strategy, deploying young mystery shoppers instead of adults, has been more effective. The initiative is part of a government prevention plan to reduce children and youth’s consumption of harmful substances. Although the industry was pre-informed about these checks, there has been little impact on their practices. The default penalty for illegal sales to minors has increased to 50,000 DKK from the earlier amounts of 10,000 DKK for alcohol and 25,000 DKK for nicotine and tobacco, taking effect from January 1, 2025.