Minors purchasing alcohol online amid Finnish law challenges

According to Finnish law, alcoholic beverages containing more than 1.2% alcohol cannot be sold to individuals under 18, while those under 20 are prohibited from purchasing drinks with more than 22% alcohol. Similarly, the sale of nicotine products is restricted for those under 18. However, minors can circumvent these regulations by ordering substances from foreign online stores, making it difficult to monitor online sales of alcohol, nicotine products, and narcotics. The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM) lacks information regarding the extent of this issue among minors, and customs officials have been unable to assess its magnitude.

Investigations into crimes have revealed that minors are purchasing intoxicating products from illegal online markets. A snapshot from the 2023 School Health Survey indicates a slight decline in weekly alcohol consumption among eighth and ninth graders, dropping from 4.1% in 2021 to 3.9% in 2023. Nevertheless, alcohol purchases from retail outlets by these students increased from 5.9% to 7.2% during the same period.

Most underage alcohol users typically obtain their drinks from adults rather than acquiring them directly. According to Saara Karttunen, an expert from the STM, minors tend to receive alcohol through intermediaries. In 2023, statistics suggest that 7.4 million liters of alcohol were ordered from foreign online stores, although this was a 62% decrease from 2022.

Customs maintains that they are largely powerless in this regard but can monitor shipping traffic and occasionally uncover these orders upon import. Efforts to collaborate with international authorities have led to the identification of foreign online sellers of prohibited goods. Despite Finnish laws having little effect on foreign online markets, there are calls for uniform regulations across countries.