15.02.2023 - Young people must be 18 to buy alcohol in Denmark, says a majority of the population. In a new poll, 60% of Danes say the age limit for alcohol sales should be raised to 18 for all types of alcohol.
Denmark is among a handful of countries in Europe where it is legal to buy alcohol when you are under 18.
If you ask the majority of Danes, that needs to change. In a poll carried out by the Voxmeter analysis institute for Blue Cross Denmark, 60.1% of Danes support the proposal to raise the age limit to 18 for the sale of all types of alcohol.
In Denmark, you can currently buy alcohol below 16.5%, such as beer and wine, if you are at least 16 years old, while you have to be 18 to buy stronger alcohol.
Several organisations, retail chains and experts in the field have argued for an 18-year age limit. The same is true of Blue Cross Danmark, which helps people with alcohol addiction and their relatives.
"A higher age limit is a clear and strong signal that can help pave the way for a healthier alcohol culture. Of course, the age limit cannot stand alone, but it can be used in many families and educational institutions to avoid or minimise alcohol consumption among young people," says Christian Bjerre, Secretary General of Blue Cross Denmark.
The previous Social Democratic government proposed raising the age limit for selling alcohol to 18. A proposal which has not yet been adopted.
"Unfortunately, we are quite 'unique' in Denmark when it comes to allowing 16-year-olds to buy alcohol. We therefore hope that politicians will listen to the experts and the population and introduce a higher age limit," says Christian Bjerre.
In March 2022, the Danish Health Authority issued new statements on alcohol, including tightening recommendations on young people's alcohol consumption and now advising young people under 18 not to drink alcohol.
About the poll
The data collection was conducted from 02-01-2023 to 10-01-2023 and data was collected from 1,041 nationally representative respondents.
The survey is representative of the entire Danish population aged 18+.
The question is: "In Denmark, you have to be 16 years old to buy alcohol below 16.5% (e.g. beer and wine), while you have to be 18 years old to buy alcohol above 16.5% (e.g. vodka and shots). Consider the following proposal: the age limit for all types of alcohol is raised to 18 years."
The breakdown of responses to the question is as follows:
60.1% think it is a good or very good proposal
17.9% think it is a bad or very bad proposal
18% think it is neither a good nor a bad proposal
4 percent do not know
Source: Blue Cross Denmark
Comments