The new alcohol law will come into effect on 1 July 2021. This is changing a lot in the field of alcoholic beverages. The new alcohol law will have these consequences for you
Although the new law was already intended to come into effect last year, this date has been moved to July 1, 2021. A lot of new rules will come into effect on that day. Think, for example, of paying VAT for parcels from countries outside the EU. In addition, you also pay a deposit for small bottles from 1 July.
So a lot of changes, for which you should be well prepared. Discover what the new alcohol law means and why it is important to you.
Although most of the rules for the new alcohol law mainly apply to retailers and catering establishments, you should still be aware of a number of things. Below you will find the most important points:
In order to discourage drinking among young people under the age of 18, a number of statutory rules have already been established. Just think of the fact that you have to identify yourself if there is doubt about the age. In addition, young people who have alcoholic beverages in public are already punishable.
However, under the new legislation you are also punishable as an adult if you buy alcohol and pass it on to a young person. Are you getting caught? In that case, both the young person and the adult will be fined. The amount of this fine is laid down in Article 23, paragraph 4 of the Criminal Code and amounts to 435 euros.
At the moment you can still order wine, beer and the like with your online order from the supermarket. This will expire on 1 July 2021 and you can only buy alcoholic beverages on websites that do not offer other products. That means Albert Heijn, Jumbo and all other supermarkets are no longer allowed to offer drinks for your home order.
Age verification is used to prevent young people under the age of 18 from ordering drinks online. This will be discussed in more detail at a later time.
At the moment, the prices of alcoholic beverages are still being played around. With the new alcohol law, stunt prices for alcohol are also a thing of the past. From 1 July 2021, only a maximum of 25% discount can be given on alcoholic drinks. Stunts like 1+1 free or 2+1 free are a thing of the past.
Now you may be wondering why new rules on the sale and consumption of alcohol are needed. Although much less alcohol is consumed across the board than years ago, there has not yet been a drop among young people. In fact, drinking problems among young people only seem to be getting worse. Not only among young people aged 18+, but also young people aged 15-18.
The legislation now wants to put a stop to this by holding parents and other adults liable if they pass on alcohol to young people. This is done by imposing a large fine. Furthermore, it is necessary to have more control over the online sale of liquor. The protection does not only apply to young people, but also to pregnant women for whom alcohol is dangerous.
The Health Council states that not drinking should become the new norm.
What do you think of the new alcohol law?
