New alcohol legislation to help combat “botellones”

Botellones, which took off in Spain about 20 years ago, are a phenomenon like “flash mobs“ – a group of strangers who organise themselves, using electronic media such as mobile phones or the Internet, to come together in a public place at a certain time to get up to all kinds of mischief. At least that’s how the authorities see it.

Unlike flash mobs, which could be viewed as a new variety of performance art, botellones are just another form of drinking bouts in public places.

However, both as hard to prevent as to ban. They have no known organizer, nor do they ask the authorities for permission.

That is why Swiss councils said in a survey in October 2009 that they want lawmakers to provide them with the means to introduce temporary and locally specific bans on the sale of alcohol to clamp down on botellones and excessive alcohol consumption at sports events.

Switzerland’s new alcohol law, which could have its first reading before the end of 2009, is supposed to be nothing less than a total revision of the current law.

The revision could lead to an abolition of the state monopolies for spirits and ethanol.

Legislators are currently investigating the means to ban spirits advertising under specific circumstances and the sale of cheap booze.

Expect lawmakers to get real tough on youth and alcohol. Switzerland, a prim and proper country of only 7.6 million people which is famous for its chocolates and watches, is still in a shock after five adolescents who were on a school trip to Munich in June this year violently kicked and beat five men, one of whom was physically handicapped.

According to police reports, the youngsters had started the evening sitting in a Munich park drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.

Three 16-year-olds who have been on remand are now being charged for attempted murder by the Munich district court and face prison sentences of up to 10 years.