Rasmus Ojamets,

youth police officer

Estonian Police and Border Guard Board

North Prefecture

Police support to the alcohol strategy in Estonia

Alcohol restrictions to minors

Under 14 years old is not capable of guilt, so police can not start the procedural act and will not punish person is who is younger

Under 18 years old are underaged, and for them is: forbidden to consume, buy own or possess alcohol; not allowed to imitate the alcohol law breakings

(selling or buying);

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Alcohol restrictions to adults

Over 18 years old is a grownup (adult), and for them are: not allowed to offer, dispossess (to sell) or give over the

alcohol to under 18 years old persons; forbidden to consume alcohol in the public places, except

defined areas where it is permitted to sell and consume alcohol on spot (bars, cafes etc.);

forbidden to show up to the public place being drunk, if it will insult human dignity or morality;

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Alcohol restrictions to organisations

The shops are: not allowed to sell alcohol between 22.00 pm to 10.00 am

(except bars, cafeterias etc. which are selling it openly on the spot);

having the opportunity to ask from the person who receives the alcohol, the identification documents and can refuse to sell or give alcohol over if the person doesn’t do that or is underage;

not allowed to hire under 18 years old people for alcohol related jobs (bars, cafes, shops, etc.), exceptions are jobs, where it is guaranteed that alcohol is unopened (storage, convey);

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Statistics of the alcohol law breakings I There have been 5315 alcohol law breakings (mostly

consuming) by minors in 2013 (7597 in 2012, 9291 in 2011) and it was 34% from the misdeeds by minors; 61% of them are boys and 39% are girls; youngest one was 11 years old;

There have been 4867 alcohol law breakings (mostly consuming or being drunk in public places) by adults in 2013 (7522 in 2012, 9335 in 2011) and it was 46% from the misdeeds by adults;

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Statistics of the alcohol law breakings II

To identify from whom minors got the alcohol: information from misdemeanours proceedings; information from shops; police operations (secret surveillance and video recordings)

62013 2012 2011

0

50

100

150

200

250

49 58 57

231

196 201

Buying and selling to underaged

AS § 67 (selling)AS § 69 (buying)

Alcohol problem among minors I

Police research among society (8000 persons) in 2013, showed that: 46% (4th grade 23%, 6th grade 48%, 8th grade 70%)

of minors have consumed alcohol; 36% of minors think that light alcohol (beer, cider)

and 68% think that strong alcohol should be forbidden to under 18 years old persons;

80% of them know very well why alcohol is bad and what dangers will jeopardise them if they drink

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Alcohol problem among minors II

Adults think (90%) that tobacco and alcohol should be totally forbidden to under 18 years old persons;

Teachers said that they have talked with their class pupils about the problems regarding what alcohol can cause: 45% had been talking about it thoroughly; 90% had been talking about it thoroughly or on some

level.

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Mistakes we have made doing prevention

Police has done a lot of prevention activities to raise the knowledge of the minors about the threats that may jeopardise them

In fact, minors are knowing it well already and it doesn’t change their behaviour

Further on we will concentrate more on the attitudes, images and social skills (example KEAT)

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Where is our main focus?

Making hard to have alcohol by minors: Using media to „knock on people’s hearts“

(values, attitudes); More attention to discover alcohol law

breakings by adults (especially sellers); Information and cooperation with shops

(flyers and clips on the radios in the shops, meetings and courses with security guards, marking products);

Making report to the local government to stop or end the licences to sell alcohol by the enterprises who have broken the law

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Obstacles while dealing with the problem

Alcohol industry invested an estimated 15 million euros in 2012 to alcohol advertisement in Estonia, additionally 2 million euros went to support culture and sport that we consider also as a long investment advertisement strategy.

At the same time, government and NGOs put an estimated 300 000 euros to alcohol prevention.

It means we are way behind of the promotion of alcohol versus prevention of the harm caused by alcohol.

Newspaper „Postimees“ in Estonia 07.03.2014, statement from the expert Riina Raudne from the Ministry of Interior.

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What more should we do?

Restrictions to advertising in the media (TV, outdoor, social media, radio) so that the TV advertisement is not allowed before 23.00 (right now it´s allowed from 20.00). There are evidence, that alcohol advertisement and

alcohol consumption are strongly related: 10% more advertising will increase alcohol consumption by 0,3%

To establish minimum prices for strong alcohol. Research in Scotland showed that increase of the price of

cheap and strong alcohol will reduce alcohol consumption 4,5%

To put more efforts to establish social norms in the society: alcohol free days (1st of June „Child Protection Day“, 1st of September „first school day“, song festivals etc.)

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THANK YOU!