The consumption and sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under 18 is now prohibited in Portugal.
The new law does away with the distinction between spirits and other drinks, such as wine and beer, which could be consumed from 16 years.
According to the Portuguese government, the goal of the new law on alcohol is to minimise the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors.
The move, published in the Official Gazette, explains that there is scientific evidence that demonstrates the existence of high-risk alcohol consumption patterns, such as drunkenness and excessive occasional consumption, in adolescents and young adults.
The document also states that "alcohol experimentation is increasingly early in children" and that "early consumption accounts for a higher probability of alcohol dependence."
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic
