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STAP: Limit festival goers to two alcoholic drinks a time to stop under-18s drinking

3 August 2017

Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy STAP advices local authorities to tighten their alcohol policy at out-door events. One suggestions is to limit party-goers to festivals to two drinks a time at the bar.

STAP says this will help prevent the under-18s drinking too much. “If everyone orders their own beer, [the legal alcohol purchasing age] will be easier to comply”, STAP director Wim van Dalen told the Volkskrant. The under-18s in the Netherlands are banned from buying alcohol and can face a fine if caught with alcohol in public.

"Lots of youngsters under the age of 18 drink too much", he said. "They don’t buy it themselves, their friends who are over 18 do. This happens a lot, particularly at events like the TT in Assen and the Nijmegen four-day marches. This summer dozens of under-18s have been hospitalised with alcohol poisoning and some end up in coma."

A spokesman for concert organiser Mojo told broadcaster NOS the suggestion is "quite impractical". The under 18s wear a special bracelet and are not allowed to buy alcohol, he said. But banning everyone from ordering more than two beers would be a "complete over-reaction".

Sources: volkskrant.nl and dutchnews.nl.

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Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy STAP
P.O. Box 9769
3506 GT Utrecht
The Netherlands
T: +31 (0)30-6565041
F: +31 (0)30-6565043
E: info@stap.nl