Young teenagers and access to alcohol in a Swiss canton: evidence from observational testing and from a telephone survey

Abstract

In the first part of the study, the readiness of bartenders and waiters to serve alcoholic beverages to young teenagers was studied. The fieldwork was conducted in a random sample of bars and restaurants in Lausanne and in villages of the canton of Vaud, where 13-year-old and 15-year-old boys ordered either beer or pastis (an aniseed-flavoured aperitif). Results showed that alcoholic beverages were very accessible to 13-year-old and 15-year-old youths although the minimum legal age for purchasing and consuming beer is 16 years and for pastis is 18 years: 81% of the test orders were served. An analysis of interaction of patterns between servers and clients suggested that time necessary to refuse orders may play an important role in explaining this result. In the second part of the study, knowledge and attitudes of owners and managers of bars, restaurants and different kinds of commercial outlet were studied in a telephone interview survey about the minimum legal age for purchasing and consuming alcoholic beverages. Only 17% of the respondents knew the correct minimum legal ages for purchasing and consuming alcoholic beverages.