The Netherlands’ drinking age went through a major change at the time the government raised the legal age from 16 to 18 years in 2014. Alcohol vendors’ compliance rates jumped by a lot – from 46.5% to 73.9% in just two years. This change has proven to work well. The effect reaches far beyond vendor compliance. Dutch youth between 12-16 years showed a sharp decline in alcohol consumption. Their numbers dropped from 84% in 2003 to 45% in 2015. Strict rules now make alcohol vendors check valid ID for anyone who looks under 18. Businesses that break these rules face…
Drinking Age in The Netherlands


















