Alcohol and tobacco | Switzerland Tourism (2024)

FAQs

Alcohol and tobacco | Switzerland Tourism? ›

Alcohol is sold in supermarkets. The age limit for the purchase of wine and beer is 16 years, and 18 years for high-proof alcohol. There is no nationwide minimum age for the purchase of tobacco in Switzerland. Depending on the canton, the minimum age is either 16 or 18.

Switzerland. Public drinking in Switzerland is legal. Although Switzerland has a legal purchase age of 16 for beer and wine, and 18 for spirits (18 for both in Ticino), it is not illegal for a minor to consume alcohol in public by federal laws.

In Geneva, stores can't sell alcohol from 9 pm to 7 am, while in Vaud, the ban is in effect from 9 pm to 6 am, with the exception of wine. They are the only two cantons in Switzerland that have this kind of legislation.

Tobacco sale age

By 2021, fifteen cantons will have banned the sale of tobacco products to minors under the age of 18, nine other cantons have set the limit at 16 and two cantons have no limit.

Liquor store and legal drinking age

You can find the Vínbúð in most towns around Iceland and they are usually open between 11:00 - 18:00 Monday to Saturday. In some towns the stores have shorter opening hours and there is no service on Sundays. The legal drinking age in Iceland is 20 years old.

Aside from crime prevention issues, Japanese laws on drinking in public are generally relaxed. This means that it is legal to drink in public in Japan. You're able to consume alcohol in parks, at the station or – while frowned upon in most social circ*mstances – even inside a train.

Saudi Arabia is not the only nation that bans alcohol sales: Kuwait has prohibited the sale and purchase of all liquor within its borders since 1965—a move that at the time caused the death or hospitalization of hundreds of citizens as they instead drank perfume and rubbing alcohol, Time reported—and the laws still ...

Buying alcohol in Switzerland is not as straightforward as you might expect because while Swiss supermarkets are allowed to sell alcohol, the country's largest chain, Migros, does not. However, you'll find a wide range of beers, wines, and spirits on sale at most other supermarkets.

In most Swiss supermarkets, you can not only buy cigarettes, beer and wine, but a wide selection of spirits will be on offer.

In Switzerland, the Alcohol Act restricts spirit advertising to product-related content only, banning lifestyle portrayals and discounts. The Alcohol Sector (ALK) of the FOCBS assesses alcohol advertisem*nt drafts for compliance. Fermented beverages like wine and beer are exempt from these regulations.

Can you smoke cigarettes in Switzerland? ›

Since 1 May 2010, smoking has been banned in Switzerland in enclosed areas when they are open to the public or serve as a workplace for more than one person. It is forbidden to smoke in restaurants, public buildings, and offices. Smoking is also forbidden on public transport.

What does a packet of cigarettes cost in Switzerland? It is often said that cigarettes are expensive in Switzerland, citing only the highest allowable prices. In this analysis we intend to show that the actual price of a packet is far lower than what is commonly believed: less than CHF 7.

1. Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is the country with the youngest drinking age at 13 years. Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa, a population 20.9 million (2020), has an area that expands to roughly 170,255 miles.

However, Angola (except Luanda Province), Central African Republic, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mali have no laws on the books restricting the sale of alcohol to minors.

The minimum legal drinking age in Mexico is 18 years old. Mexico requires that young adults show photo identification, either a passport or driver's license, as proof of age when buying alcohol.

You must be 18 or over to buy alcohol in Ireland. It is an offence to: Serve alcohol to a person who is under 18. Pretend to be 18 or over to buy alcohol.

Alcohol laws in Switzerland

The legal age for drinking spirits, however, is 18. That said, it is not illegal for a minor – or anyone else for that matter – to consume alcohol in public. In fact, public drinking isn't illegal in the country, nor frowned upon.

Food & drink on Swiss trains

A few regional trains now have vending machines selling hot drinks, cold drinks and snacks, operated with contactless bank cards. Or feel free to bring your own food and drink (even a bottle of wine, if you like) onto the train, there's no rules against that on the rails!