1. The PAKKA project and sanctions for violating the age limits
Eyes on Ages Conference, Amsterdam, May 30th, 2013
Thomas Karlsson

2. PAKKA -project interventions on under-age drinking
Aim of the interventions:
To reduce availability of alcohol in stores and restaurants by enforcement of surveillance and by educating in responsible beverage sales (RBS).
Reducing social availability from friends, siblings and parents by education, campaigns and mobilization.
Changing community attitudes and media advocacy.
The interventions were a part of a wider community project (PAKKA - project “Local Alcohol Policy”), which studied the effectiveness and feasibility of a local level alcohol policy based on community partnerships.
The project had a quasi-experimental setting. Two intervention areas were selected and these were matched with comparison sites. Data was collected before and after the intervention.
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

3. Mystery shopping trials in retail sales stores
Pseudo-patron trials were used to study how responsible off- premise establishments were in controlling age limits in retail sales of alcohol.
In the trials eight volunteers (4 girls, 4 boys) that looked under- aged, but were in fact over 18, were recruited as pseudo-patrons for the study.
In choosing the pseudo-patrons, a panel of experts was used consisting of the researchers, the project co-ordinator and a bouncer.
Altogether 66 shops were selected from the study and control region. All types of off-premises were included in the study (supermarkets, shops, kiosks, gas stations and state monopoly Alko stores)
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

4. Mystery shopping trials in retail sales stores
Over 300 purchase attempts were made during the baseline measurements in Follow ups were conducted two years later in 2006.
The pseudo-patrons were instructed to buy beer or cider from the grocery stores, kiosks and gas stations and R2D:s or a small bottle of wine from the monopoly stores.
After each purchase attempt, the pseudo-patrons filled in a questionnaire where questions about each separate purchase occasion were asked.
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

5. Results and conclusions
The evaluation showed that the availability of alcohol to youth had become more restrictive.
In addition, young peoples’ drinking became less common and public attitudes on alcohol policy had become more restrictive.
When comparing our results with purchase trials made in Norway we could conclude that alcohol monopoly outlets had a stricter control of legal age limits than other types of outlets.
Source: Rossow, I., Karlsson, T. & Raitasalo, K. (2008) Old enough for a beer? Compliance with minimum legal age for alcohol purchases in monopoly and other off-premise outlets in Finland and Norway. Addiction, 103, 1468–1473.
Due to the encouraging results of the PAKKA project, a similar study has in been done for gambling (slot machines) and for tobacco sales.
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

6. Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman
Proportion of purchase/gambling attempts where buyer was denied purchase/gambling, %
Warpenius, K., Holmila, M. & Raitasalo, K.
Peliin ei puututa: Alkoholin, tupakan ja rahapeliautomaattien ikärajavalvontaa testanneet ostokokeet vähittäisliikkeissä.
YHTEISKUNTAPOLITIIKKA 2012:4 s
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

7. Supervising authorities
In Finland, the supervising authorities in the alcohol field are the police and alcohol inspectors from the Regional State Administrative Agencies.
The alcohol inspectors’ surveillance visits to bars, restaurants and stores take place in a planned manner, often together with the police.
When it comes to alcohol and young people, the police has the right to confiscate bottles and dispose of alcohol obtained from intoxicated under-aged people in public places.
The police monitors youth drinking especially during the weekend when the schoolyear ends and again during the weekend before the next term starts.
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

8. Sanctions for violating the age limits
The licensing authority has the possibility to give a warning (admonition/written) or restrict the license by limiting the serving hours, serving area or types of alcohol being served.
The licensing authority has also the possibility to withdraw the license for a certain period or even permanently if:
the Alcohol Act or the provisions or regulations issued in virtue of it have been violated,
the license holder is considered to no more fulfill the conditions for having the license or to have lost his/her reliability; or
there has occurred disturbance or other malpractice on the licensed premises.
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

9. Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman
Offences – sanctions
Permanent cancellations of licences are, most often, caused by the licence holder neglecting to pay his taxes and other public charges.
For single, minor misdemeanors, the sanction usually is a warning or a fine.
Repeated, more serious offences can lead to the withdrawal of the license either for a certain period or permanently.
Selling alcoholic beverages to a minor under 18, and selling alcoholic beverages to a person who is clearly intoxicated, are considered serious offences.
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

10. On-premise supervision 2005 - 2011
A- licence = all alcoholic beverages
B- licence = light alcoholic beverages, max 22 vol. %
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

11. Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman
Retail supervision
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

12. Media picks (these ones in English only)
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

13. Police supervision of minors drinking, weekends in June & August
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman

14. Police supervision, weekends in June & August
Litres
11/16/2018
Thomas Karlsson / Mikaela Lindeman