BERN, SWITZERLAND- The Swiss Federal Council has changed two alcohol laws, Friday 27 January. Main points: After 22:00, alcohol should not be sold in shops and carried out; there will be strict rules of advertisements for online, mobile, and a wide range of cheap non-alcoholic drinks keeping in mind the younger market.
Monopolies will be ended in the alcohol business as the Swiss government will take out the responsibility of the alcohol business, opening it for the market. As the tax policy on alcohol, CHF29/liter, will remain unchanged, there will be no immediate effect on the customer’s point of view.
Reforms after hot debates on “night policy” will help in getting through the law as approval from parliament is a must, the council says. Many changes were made in the earlier version of the law during consultation.
According to night policy, all retail sales will end between 22:00 and 06:00 and bans all offers during the night time period like 2 for one or happy hours. This law is for youth protection, as bars and cafes can manage more eagerly excess consumption as compared to drinking in dark corners and secret places.
Bars should offer prices for the replacement of the cheapest alcohol drinks from three non-alcoholic drinks. Bans will be put on all lifestyle and other incentive drinking ads everywhere; it will include online and mobile advertising.
