Teenage Test Buyers Also On The Move In Viennese Establishments
Vienna is tightening youth protection - and allowing those affected to monitor it. With an upcoming legislative amendment, not only are prohibitions such as for nicotine pouches or sports betting being established, but young people will also be allowed to carry out test purchases under certain conditions. Such will also be available in local establishments. People under 16 will try to obtain alcohol there. Initially, the focus will be on education in case of violations.
Nicotine Pouch Ban for Under-18s in Vienna
With the recently presented amendment, an explicit ban on nicotine pouches is included among other things. Under-18s will then no longer be allowed to buy or consume these in Vienna. This should eliminate misunderstandings regarding the tobacco-free products on offer. It is clarified that all nicotine products fall under the youth ban.
The "pouches" are becoming increasingly popular among young people, explained Youth City Councillor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) and Addiction and Drug Coordinator Ewald Lochner in a discussion with media representatives on Friday. A regulation via the Youth Protection Act is necessary because the tobacco-free products are not included in the Tobacco Act, it was said. So far, no agreement has been reached at the federal level.
Sports Betting Also Banned for Young People
Until now, the Vienna Youth Protection Act did not contain an explicit prohibition regarding participation in gambling and betting for young people, with the exception of gaming machines. Now it is specified that the ban applies not only to machines. Sports betting, for example, is also affected, as was explained. They are off-limits for kids under 18 years of age in the future, even though it is not concealed that, for example, the use of online offers is difficult to check.
Amendment to the Youth Protection Act Allows Deployment as Test Buyers
It is explicitly permitted to hire individuals for inspections who are too young to purchase prohibited goods. In this case, there is no administrative offense, as explicitly stated in the law. However, several conditions are necessary for a legal test deployment.
For instance, the legal guardians must expressly agree to this. The test purchaser must also be trained and accompanied by an adult. And: the young people are not allowed to keep anything. According to Lochner, about 15 to 20 such teams are expected to be on the road at the start. The young people are recruited from existing peer programs and receive a compensation for their efforts.
Vienna Sends Young Test Buyers into Local Businesses
The plan is to also check in local businesses. It will be checked whether alcohol is being served to individuals who are not yet 16 years old. Because beer and wine can already be consumed from this age. Now it will be checked whether alcohol is also served to younger guests. Accordingly, the test buyers will be younger than 16.
If violations are found in stores, tobacco shops or even restaurants, the initial approach will be to have discussions with owners or management, as Wiederkehr emphasized. "We also offer free training. Our primary goal is not to punish," he stated.
However, if the law is repeatedly or even commercially violated, the police will be informed, he clarified. They can then impose fines. The penalty range here is even up to 15,000 euros. The amendment is expected to be passed in the state parliament in March.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.