Kontula Alko ordered closed for three days for selling alcohol to 14-year-old minor

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An outlet of Alko, the retail monopoly for alcoholic beverages in Finland, has been ordered to close down for three days for selling alcoholic beverages to a minor.
      Staff at the Kontula Alko in eastern Helsinki had sold a 14-year-old boy mild alcoholic beverages, for which the minimum age is 18.
      A security guard at the Kontula shopping centre intervened when the boy passed drinks on to other youngsters. The incident took place in January of this year.
      As punishment, the State Provincial Office of Southern Finland ordered the establishment closed for three days. The penalty is to be implemented on May 26-28.
     
“According to information that I have, the salesperson had estimated the buyer’s age at 25 or more”, says Alko service director Kari Pennanen. It is Alko policy to require all customers who appear to be under the age of 25 to produce identification cards.
      “The sales person, who is very experienced, has worked at Alko for 30 years, and is well aware of the principles of selling alcohol.”
      ”I am sorry on behalf of the sales person and Alko that a mishap like this took place. It is really very unfortunate”, Pennanen adds.
      He emphasises that such abuses are rare. He only remembers one similar such event in the past 20 years, which took place in 2004. At that time an Alko in Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland, was closed for three days after alcohol was sold to a minor.
     
On Friday afternoon Luca Cannavò was buying wine at the Kontula Alko. He says that the sales staff checks customers’ ID fairly often.
      “Generally speaking, service has operated fairly well here."
      About 20 metres from the Alko door, 15-year-olds Ali and Ahqu have heard about the case of the 14-year-old.
      The boys, who will only give their first names, say that there is no need for those who are underage to enter the Alko, because adults can always be found who are willing to make purchases on their behalf if they are given a commission of a couple of euros.
      “There have been ten such cases this morning alone”, Ahquu says.
      Alko serves about 63 million customers a year. Sales staff ask to see ID papers about two million times a year. Between five and ten per cent of requests lead to a refusal to sell.


Links:
  Alko: Ground rules for purchases

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