Organisations urge Denmark to ban alcohol sales to under-18s

Several Danish organisations and a sociologist are calling for a ban on alcohol sales to anyone under 18, after a sales ban in southern Greenland was followed by a sharp fall in reported crime, DR reports.

Greenlandic police say the total ban in South Greenland Municipality led to a marked decline in crime. The measure followed an alcohol-related killing and was introduced to address the effects of drinking in the municipality.

Police have since received fewer reports of disturbances in homes, violent offences, sexual offences and intoxicated people in public. The experience has prompted calls to tighten alcohol rules in Denmark, although the groups and expert DR spoke to consider a total sales ban unrealistic there.

Under current Danish rules, people aged 16 and over can buy cider, beer and similar drinks with less than 6 per cent alcohol. Drinks with a higher alcohol content and spirits can only be bought by those aged 18 or older. Sellers must ask for valid photo ID if they are unsure whether a customer is old enough.

Jakob Demant, a sociology professor at the University of Copenhagen who studies young people, alcohol and crime, said Denmark had struggled to regulate alcohol use among young people. He said raising the age limit could also have an effect on crime.

Alcohol and Society, an organisation focused on alcohol issues, supports a ban on alcohol sales to minors. Its director, Maria Koch Aabel, said access to alcohol has a significant effect on how much people drink and on drinking culture. The organisation says any age-limit change should be accompanied by other measures to make alcoholic drinks less accessible.

A June 2026 Voxmeter report commissioned by Alcohol and Society found that 7.7 per cent of respondents had experienced violence as a result of another person’s alcohol use.

The Danish Cancer Society also supports raising the purchase age to 18. Its prevention director, Mette Lolk Hanak, said Denmark should reconsider what she described as a permissive approach to alcohol, particularly when it comes to protecting children and young people. Both organisations say Denmark is among the countries with the least regulation of alcohol and want politicians to consider its price and marketing as well.

Alcohol-related illness and health problems cost Denmark’s health service about 3.6 billion kroner a year, according to the Danish Health Authority. The authority also estimates annual lost production of about 9.1 billion kroner because of alcohol-related illness, absence from work and early death.

People DR spoke to in Aarhus were divided over raising the age limit. Jann Lund, a night-time volunteer in the city, said moving the age for buying lower-strength alcohol from 16 to 18 would not change young people’s drinking habits or culture. Magnus Schweitz, 25, said he understood the reasoning but added that young people should sometimes be allowed to be young.