Portugal: Portugal raises minimum age for alcohol sale to 18

The Portuguese Government approved amendments to legislation on alcohol, establishing a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors, ESM reported on April 27.

Currently, beer and wine sales were allowed to those older than 16 years.

A statement issued after the meeting of the Council of Ministers says that it is now forbidden to provide or sell alcoholic beverages to minors and put them at their disposal for commercial purposes, in public places and in places open to the public.

It also adds that this measure “is not intended to punish or penalise the consumer, but put barriers to access to alcohol by adolescents, adopting the recommendations of national and international specialized agencies such as the World Health Organization".

The National Spirits Association has welcomed the raising to 18 the minimum age for the consumption of all types of alcohol in the country.

For its part, the Portuguese Beer Producers Association believes that the new changes are “premature” as the existing law has been in force only for two years, after four years of discussions between the Ministry of Health and the civil society.

29 April, 2015