Of the 40 people who died in the Le Constellation bar fire in Crans-Montana, half were minors with the youngest being 14 years old. This raises the question of their access to bars and nightclubs in Switzerland. What does the law say? There is no national federal law on this matter. Each Swiss canton therefore has its own regulations to protect young people. The key dividing line is 16 years almost everywhere. Above this age limit, there is no problem. But below this age, teenagers must be accompanied by an adult with parental authority to enter a bar or even a café-restaurant serving alcohol in the evening. The cut-off time at which this restriction applies varies from canton to canton. In Valais, where the tragedy took place, it is set at 10 p.m. Geneva and Neuchâtel are more permissive: adult supervision is only mandatory from midnight onwards. In contrast, in Jura it is 9 p.m., and in Vaud it is at 8 p.m. No distinction between bars and nightclubs This regulation applies to ...
