Ban on alcohol vending machines being flouted

Despite the ban on selling alcohol from vending machines in force since 1 July 2024, it is estimated that about a quarter of vending machines are still selling alcohol, according to data from Belgium's federal health ministry.

In the second half of last year, 29% of the 314 vending machines inspected were still dispensing alcoholic beverages. Since the beginning of 2025, 23% of the 325 vending machines inspected did not comply.

Operators who do not comply with this ban are liable to fines ranging from €208 to €24,000.

The sale of alcohol in hospitals is also more strictly regulated. Alcohol can still be served in cafeterias, but only unchilled beer and wine are allowed to be sold in hospital shops.

Out of the 70 hospitals inspected, 15 received warnings. In other words, nearly one in five hospitals is still in breach of the new legislation.

Further checks and possible sanctions will follow in the autumn, according to the Belgian health authority.

Action is necessary given that alcohol causes the fourth highest number of deaths in Belgium. It is one of the countries with the world’s highest alcohol consumption. With an average of 13.2 litres of alcohol per person per year, Belgium’s alcohol drinking rate exceeds the European average.

According to a 2018 Sciensano survey, 14% of the population consumes alcohol excessively, drinking more than 10 units of alcohol per week.