The Center for Youth Education warns of the worrying level of exposure of children and young people to alcohol in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing that systemic protection in practice is almost non-existent.
Alcoholic beverages, especially beer and wine, are still widely available at relatively low prices, despite rising prices of basic foodstuffs. Their more favorable fiscal treatment compared to spirits further contributes to availability, making alcohol one of the most readily available products on the market – including for the younger population.
Laws exist, but they are not followed
Although there are as many as 18 laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina that prohibit the sale of alcohol to minors, practice on the ground shows a different picture. According to the Center’s data, as many as 90 percent of stores sell alcohol to minors, which was confirmed through the “Secret Shopper” research campaign conducted in 2025.
At the same time, the institutional reaction is minimal. Out of more than a thousand inspections of shops, only seven misdemeanor orders were issued, while in catering establishments, out of hundreds of inspections, only four fines were issued.
Consequences visible in society
The consequences of this situation are already present in everyday life. Every fifth traffic accident in BiH is related to driving under the influence of alcohol, while in 2025, at least 621 cases of domestic violence were recorded in which the perpetrators were intoxicated.
The real scale of the problem, the Center warns, is probably even greater, because there is no unified record at the state level, nor is alcohol testing carried out in all cases.
Alcohol normalized through promotion
An additional problem is the almost uncontrolled promotion of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is advertised in the media, on billboards, in public transport, but also at sports events, including those intended for children and young people, where it appears as a sponsor.
Through the “Zero% Tolerance” campaign, which the Center has been implementing for six years in cooperation with the IOGT-NTO Movement, the focus is on three key problems: availability of alcohol to minors, low prices and uncontrolled promotion.
A call for urgent action
The Center says that this is not just a matter of breaking the law, but of the safety and health of children and young people. They emphasize that responsibility is borne by everyone – institutions, the education system, the media, the private sector and the family.
They call on the authorities to take decisive and coordinated measures, with stronger control over the application of the law and systemic solutions that will reduce the availability of alcohol to minors in the long term.
“The protection of children and young people must not remain at the declarative level. Concrete and urgent measures are needed,” says the Center for Youth Education. RTV Slon.
