Czech Republic has a love-hate relationship with alcohol. Although we produce a lot of good beers, wines and spirits, our consumption of them often causes trouble for those, who drink irresponsibly. A part of responsible drinking is definitely waiting for one’s 18th birthday. At that age, Czechs can legally start buying and drinking alcohol. This age has been determined by a number of experts, based on the fact that alcohol can cause much more damage to a brain that has not developed fully. Furthermore, the brains of adolescents have a much higher likelihood of developing an addiction. Despite all these reasons, some adolescents resort to attempting to buy alcohol in shops and bars and they unfortunately often end up being successful. During a recent control performed by the Czech Trade Inspection Authority, three out of four attempts to buy alcohol ended successfully for a young actor hired by the institution. These Prague shops allowed the adolescent to walk off with the dangerous liquid drug without checking his ID. One of his attempts also focused specifically on and automatic check-out machine, which specifically asked the staff for an ID, and the staff just skipped the step anyway. Sadly, adolescents tend to be successful in 75% of attempts to buy alcohol in Prague according to the Czech Trade Inspection Authority. If such a case is found out, the shop owners can face a fine of up to 1 million crowns.
