Opinion: Minors have no place in alcohol sales responsibility in Estonia

Lauri Beekman argues that Estonia should not create new exceptions that bring minors into alcohol production and sales environments. He contends that if the goal is to reduce young people's exposure to alcohol, new loopholes undermine that aim.

Estonia is currently debating a legislative move that would create a new exception allowing minors to be involved in alcohol production and sales environments — and public health advocate Lauri Beekman believes this is a serious mistake.

Beekman argues that the state's stated goal of reducing young people's exposure to alcohol and pushing back the age at which they first encounter it is fundamentally at odds with any policy that draws minors closer to alcohol manufacturing and retail. If society genuinely wants to delay the onset of alcohol use among youth, the legal framework must reflect that ambition consistently.

Creating carve-outs that place teenagers in roles adjacent to alcohol sales or production sends a contradictory message, according to Beekman. It normalises alcohol as part of the working environment for young people at an impressionable age, potentially undermining years of public health messaging and youth protection efforts.

Beekman's central point is straightforward: the responsibility zone around alcohol sales is no place for a minor. Policymakers in Estonia, he writes, should ensure that any legislative changes reinforce — rather than erode — the protective barriers that exist between young people and alcohol.