The Greek government is pushing forward with a new law that would, for the first time, make it a criminal offense for bartenders and servers to knowingly provide alcohol to minors, part of a broader crackdown on underage drinking and smoking in a country where such restrictions have long been ignored.
The new legislation, presented by Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, aims to put teeth into long-standing but unenforced laws.
It comes amid alarming statistics showing that 92% of Greek 16-year-olds report having easy access to alcohol.
“The responsible consumption of alcohol is a critical public health and social issue,” Mr. Georgiadis said during a parliamentary debate.
He stressed that the focus is on protecting young people from the dangers of excessive alcohol use, which is a leading cause of death for people aged 16 to 25 in Europe.
Under the proposed bill, the legal responsibility for serving minors would extend beyond business owners to the individual employees who pour the drinks.
The legislation also introduces stricter rules for events, requiring that private parties involving minors held at bars or clubs be logged with the Ministry of Digital Governance.
On tobacco, the bill mandates strict ID checks for all sales and targets the common practice of parents sending children to kiosks to buy cigarettes.
While there is broad political agreement on the need to address underage drinking and smoking, the bill has drawn criticism from opposition parties for its emphasis on punishment over prevention.
Rania Thrasia of the center-left Pasok party argued that the law fails to address the root causes of why young people turn to these substances, while Andreas Panagiotopoulos of the left-wing Syriza party described the legislation as overly “repressive.”
Yiannis Tsimaris, also of Pasok, pointed out a significant loophole, noting the bill does not address the rapid growth of online sales, which allows minors to bypass age verification checks entirely.
The bill’s introduction marks a potential cultural turning point in Greece, where smoking indoors was common until recently and underage drinking is often treated with leniency.
The government insists that this time, enforcement will be a priority.