City of Cologne reaches through: three kiosks because of youth hazard tight!

City of Cologne reaches through: three kiosks because of youth hazard tight!

Mülheim, Deutschland - In Cologne, the encounter of laws and reality at the kiosk becomes once more visible. In the course of strict controls, the city has closed several kiosks because they stubbornly disregarded the applicable laws for the sale of tobacco and alcohol. The districts of Kalk and Mülheim in particular were affected, where four operators now had to finally close their doors. This reports Radio Köln .

These drastic measures can be attributed to repeated violations. Among other things, it was the sale of tobacco and alcoholic beverages to minor buyers and the lack of the necessary permits for the sale of electronic cigarettes that were doomed to the kiosks. "The regulatory office has set clear limits and is continuously planning controls in cooperation with the customs and environmental agencies," explains a spokesman for the city. Even after the official closure, illegal fabric was still sold in a kiosk in lime - and that from the trunk of a car!

diverse violations of the law

The list of offenses is long: In addition to the sales to young people, unpaid and not approved e-cigarettes were also ensured, as Express . These shocking discoveries are not only a problem for the operators themselves, but also for society, which wants to highlight a responsible handling of such products. The fact that in the affected kiosks there were always underage test buyers with tobacco products and illegal snus products in the affected kiosks.

particularly explosive: During a check in February 2025, an employee of an affected kiosk even tried to flee with illegal goods and injured an order officer. This shows how serious the situation is and how far it is ordered with legal awareness in some cases.

strict regulations in youth protection

The violations are not only lightly, they also result in sensitive punishments. Protection of minors is a clear matter. For example, no tobacco products may be submitted to children and adolescents. And drinks of medium-sized alcohol contents may only be sold to young people aged 14 and over, as stated by the provisions of the Youth Protection Act

For the kiosk operators in Cologne, it is now important to reorient yourself. Because the city made it unequivocally clear that it is no longer willing to accept violations of the applicable laws. Anyone who violates the youth protection law must expect up to 50,000 euros, and the opportunity to operate a business in the future will be severely restricted.

The essence of these controls is clear: it is due to every kiosk operator to show a good hand when compliance with the regulations in order to secure your own existence in the long term and at the same time meet the responsibility towards the young generation.