The Czech Trade Inspection Authority carried out numerous inspections over the past year to monitor compliance with the ban on selling alcohol and tobacco to minors. A total of 6,804 checks were conducted, with almost half revealing violations.
The Czech Trade Inspection Authority’s (Česká obchodní inspekce) year-round inspection campaign focused on compliance with legal regulations governing the supply and sale of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, smoking accessories, herbal smoking products, electronic cigarettes, and nicotine pouches. Between 2 January and 31 December 2024, a total of 6,804 checks were carried out. Violations of legal regulations were identified in 3,273 cases, accounting for 48.10% of all inspections.
As part of the campaign, 894 test purchases were conducted using individuals under the age of 18. The inspectorates also collaborated with other supervisory authorities: 209 inspections were carried out in cooperation with the Czech police, 157 with employees of the trade supervisory authorities, 50 with the customs administration, and 30 with the regional hygiene station. Several state institutions participated in some inspections simultaneously.
Breaches of provisions related to the protection of health against the harmful effects of narcotic substances were detected in 963 cases. The most frequent violation (429 cases) involved the sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 18. In 181 cases, retailers had failed to display a clearly visible notice at points of sale for tobacco products and smoking accessories indicating the ban on sales to persons under 18, or the notice did not meet legal requirements.
Consumer protection offences were identified in 3,217 cases. The most common violations were missing price information (1,098 cases), unfair sales practices (997 cases), and failure to issue a receipt upon the consumer’s request (540 cases).
A total of 2,809 fines amounting to CZK 26,676,500 were imposed. The inspection results confirm the necessity of the campaign, as almost half of the retailers inspected were found to have committed offences. Particularly serious is the sale or supply of alcohol to minors, detected in 429 cases, accounting for 6.31% of all checks conducted. Compared to 2023, this represents an increase of 172 cases (2.49%). The Czech Trade Inspection Authority will continue its intensive monitoring efforts in this area.
