New roadmap protecting minors from tobacco, alcohol use is presented
A new series of measures to prevent young Greeks from accessing tobacco products and alcohol titled "Road map and operational plan for the universal implementation of a ban on the sale of tobacco and alcohol to minors" was presented by ministers on Wednesday.
Related regulations existed, but the new initiative will cover long-standing loopholes in implementation, they said. The rise of nicotine and alcohol use by minors in tandem with the emergence of new products (vaping or alternative products to nicotine) have made a stricter and contemporary approach necessary.
The purpose of the new institutional framework is to protect young people, prevent addiction at a young age, boost transparency and monitoring of the market, improve the effectivenss of implementation, and align Greece with national and European strategies of public health. The five aspects included in the Roadmap are the following: prevention of access and protection of minors, enforcement of market oversight, regulation of new nicotine products, establishment of a digital control registry, and boosting of oversight mechanisms and penalties.
Furthermore, the sale, offer, or distribution of tobacco and alcohol to minors is now a criminal offense, and violations incur a jail sentence of up to three years and a fine.
Checking age
A fully digital and reliable system of verifying age is at the core of the new plans. This will happen through the applications Gov.gr Wallet and Kids Wallet. Throught the Gov.gr Wallet, a seller chooses the age group to verify age (eg over 18) and the app generates a QR code.
The prospective buyer scans the QR code through the apps and permits the sharing of the age certification. The approval or not of the sale based on age appears in green or red on the seller's Gov.gr Wallet. It should be noted that the exact age of the buyer does not show.
The police will be responsible for checking the application of the law.
Entry and staying in bars and nightclubs is banned. Exceptions for private events including minors are allowed under specific conditions, including being registered on the events.gov.gr platform.
Ministers' statements
Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou emphasized the interoperability and coordination of involved agencies, calling for cooperation on the project. The ministry of health establishes policy, the citizen protection ministry carries out checks, and e-governance develops the tools for the project.
Papastergiou said that the system will not reveal personal information, and stressed that this technology is in agreement with European practices and can be extended to other sectors (such as Internet platforms). "Technology is here to make our life safer," he said, adding that the new framework requires the support of professionals and society to be effective.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said that the main issue is not whether there is a ban or not, but how to implement it in action. For years, related discussions focused on the police's responsibility but did not provide it with the right tools.
"The police can do miracle work, but it must have the framework to act," Georgiadis said, noting that the new digital system will provide that. There will be no margins for doubting or excuses by sellers. Nobody can now use the excuse of ignorance. "There is no excuse that I did not realize I was doing something illegal," he pointed out.
AMNA
