Alcohol prevention in the City of Zurich during EURO 2008

At an event like EURO 2008, alcohol will be consumed – of that there is no question. But what is clear, is that excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to serious problems, not only for youths but for adults too. It is for this reason that those responsible for organizing EURO 2008 in the City of Zurich are placing great importance on making sure that laws regarding the protection of minors are consistently adhered to, and, by implementing the necessary preventative measures, they should be in a position to help prevent the type of alcoholic con-sumption that inevitably leads to problems. This will also help to prevent alcohol-related inci-dents such as aggressive and violent behaviour, accidents and damage to property. Effective protection of minors Warning and information signs, suitably trained sales personnel, mystery shoppers It is against the law to sell wine, beer and cider to persons under the age of 16, and spirits, liqueurs and alcopops to persons under the age of 18. Warning and information signs issued by the city police force’s certification department will contain information in different lan-guages regarding this law which must be displayed throughout the city and be highly visible. Bar and sales staff will have the right, as and where necessary, to request to see ID to prove the purchasers are of a suitable age to buy alcohol. People working in bars and at stands will be trained by specialists from the addiction preven-tion centre in the City of Zurich and from Zurich’s specialist department for the prevention of alcohol and medication abuse (ZüFAM) in order to enable them to give appropriate instruc-tion to their staff regarding laws on the protection of minors. This training is mandatory as far as being approved for bar licenses is concerned. In order to ensure and to monitor that youths are being protected accordingly, detectives of the city police force together with volunteers of the Blue Cross (Blaues Kreuz) will be posing as mystery shoppers throughout the tournament Preventative measures Control over special offers and pricing policies In the fanzone (where public viewing is possible), there must be a limit on the quantity of re-usable beakers. In this area, normal and alcohol-free beer will be available and the sale of spirits will not be permitted. In the fan mile, light beer will also be served. Spirits and alco-pops will only be available in the beer tents at a minimum price of CHF 10.- . A half litre of beer will cost CHF 6.-, and a half litre of light beer (2.4%) will cost CHF 5.50. Alcohol-free beer and mineral water will cost CHF 5.-. In addition to this, the fountains within the fan mile that contain drinking water will be specially marked so as to allow everyone to drink water free of charge at all times. Raising awareness Amusing posters in the trams will inspire people to consume alcohol in moderation and will make the point that when the time comes, everyone is responsible for setting and knowing their own limits.