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Alcohol breathalyzer sales now mandatory for wine merchants
Since 1 July 2021, as part of measures to combat drink-driving in France, all retailers selling alcoholic drinks for consumption off the premises have been required to offer customers breathalysers for checking their own blood alcohol level. These must detect thresholds of 0.25 mg per litre of exhaled air, or 0.10 mg/L for probationary driving licences.
Which retailers are affected?
Wine merchants, grocery shops, supermarkets and any other physical or online retailer selling alcohol must therefore offer approved single-use chemical breathalysers or electronic breathalysers.
However, producers selling alcoholic drinks made from their own harvest or production, such as winegrowers and brewers, are not subject to this requirement. The same applies to temporary sales outlets at trade shows and fairs, as they are not required to hold an off-licence.
Breathalyser stocks and signage
Retailers must keep a minimum stock of between 10 and 25 breathalysers, depending on the size of their alcoholic drinks section. They must be placed near the section displaying the largest volume of alcoholic drinks or close to the till in shops specialising in alcohol sales.
The breathalysers must be clearly visible and their location indicated by a sign. This signage is required in addition to information explaining the importance of checking your own alcohol level. Online retailers selling alcoholic drinks must display a fixed, permanently visible banner on the checkout page.
Penalties for non-compliance
Following an initial three-month implementation period, retailers selling alcoholic drinks for consumption off the premises that fail to meet this requirement may face a fixed fine of €675, which can be increased to as much as €1,875.*
The different types of breathalysers
- Electronic breathalysers are portable devices that measure the alcohol level in a person’s breath. They can provide a result within a few seconds and are very easy to use. The result is displayed on a screen. An electronic breathalyser generally costs between €6 and €20.
- Single-use breathalysers are also easy to carry. Unlike electronic models, single-use breathalysers may have a sensitivity ranging from 0.02% to 0.05%. Results are usually available within three to five minutes. These breathalysers have a shelf life of between 12 and 24 months.
*Source: Service-Public.fr.