These two factors are the main reason the country has some 117,000 people, who drink excessive amounts of alcohol. That's also why the damage caused by alcohol annually exceeds 250 million euros. So how can this sort of damage be minimized? In addition to price hikes, a key measure would be to make it more difficult to buy such beverages, including a legal age limit for buying alcohol. It seems that stores and bars do not take this limit seriously, as many young people get heavily drunk.

Despite numerous inspections, around 1000 a year, only about 10 offenders are caught annually. That's why the market inspection wants to see the age limit for purchasing alcohol raised to 21 years. They also support the use of a license. In the EU close to 120 thousand premature deaths can be attributed to alcohol use. One in seven men and one in thirteen women die prematurely due to excessive alcohol use. A particularly worrying fact is that excessive alcohol consumption is the most important cause of death among young people between the ages of 15 and 29.