Youth and Alcohol - Drinking beer from 14 on? 'Accompanied drinking' under scrutiny
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and the health ministers of several German states speak in favor of a ban on so-called "accompanied drinking" for 14- to 16-year-olds. "From a health policy perspective, there can be no two opinions on this topic," Lauterbach told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "The presence of adults changes nothing about the harmfulness of Alcohol for children. Therefore, accompanied drinking should be prohibited."
Adolescents in Germany, according to the Youth Protection Law, can regularly buy and drink beer, wine, and sparkling wine from the age of 16. In the company of a responsible person, this is even allowed from the age of 14 - in restaurants or in public.
Several Health Ministers for Rule Change
Lauterbach is not alone in his criticism of this regulation: The Bavarian Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU) and the Berlin Health Senator Ina Czyborra (SPD) are also in favor of abolishing accompanied drinking. The permission makes no sense with regard to prevention goals, Gerlach told RND. Czyborra said that alcohol consumption endangers the physical and mental development of adolescents to a great extent.
Lower Saxony's Health Minister Andreas Philippi (SPD) recently called this handling "a completely false social signal." "Accompanied drinking trivializes alcohol consumption and should be abolished," he told the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. The earlier the onset of drinking, the more problematic the behavior as an adult.
Experts examine possible law changes
The Health Ministers' Conference of the States dealt with this topic in June and decided that experts should examine the rules in the Youth Protection Law more closely. The DAK welcomes the debate: "Drinking alcohol through parents lowers the threshold for starting to drink," DAK CEO Andreas Storm told the German Press Agency (dpa).
There are still thousands of children and adolescents in hospitals in Germany every year due to alcohol consumption. The DAK referred to its own surveys, according to which around 6,000 adolescents between 15 and 17 years old had to be treated in clinics nationwide in 2023 due to alcohol abuse.
According to the statements of the Federal Drug Commissioner, Burkhard Blienert (SPD), every German statistically consumes ten liters of pure alcohol per year. In European comparison, the Federal Republic is therefore a high-consumption country. Eight million people drink in a risky manner and 1.6 to 1.8 million people are alcohol-dependent in a stricter sense.
CDU Health Politician Sees Reform Proposal Skeptically
The idea of banning accompanied drinking for teenagers is also viewed skeptically. Every step to prevent adolescents from consuming alcohol is good for their health, said the health policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Tino Sorge, to dpa.
New rules must measure up to real-life situations: "The family plays a central role when it comes to responsible handling of alcohol. Whether a categorical ban can establish itself in the private sphere must be pragmatically discussed." No adolescent who tries alcohol for the first time with their father will become an alcoholic.
CDU politician expressed concern, emphasizing the importance of educational offers in schools and associations, and paying close attention to the social environment of the youth. The vast majority of alcohol excesses occur where parents are not present.
- In response to the proposed ban, the CDU's health policy spokesperson, Tino Sorge, acknowledged the importance of preventing teenage alcohol consumption.
- The idea of prohibiting accompanied drinking for teenagers has sparked varying opinions, with some seeing it as a potential health benefit.
- Editorial Network Germany reported that SPD's Federal Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, and several state health ministers, including Judith Gerlach (CSU) and Ina Czyborra (SPD), advocated for banning accompanied drinking for 14-16-year-olds.
- The CDU politician, however, expressed skepticism, highlighting the role of educational offers in schools and associations and the influence of the youth's social environment.
- The presence of adults does not mitigate the harmfulness of alcohol for children, according to Lauterbach, emphasizing the need for prohibition of accompanied drinking.
- According to the Youth Protection Law in Germany, adolescents can buy and drink beer, wine, and sparkling wine from 16, while from 14, they can do so in public or restaurants if accompanied by a responsible adult.
- In 2023, DAK's statistics revealed that around 6,000 adolescents between 15 and 17 needed hospitalization due to alcohol abuse across Germany.
- The ban on accompanied drinking for teenagers is a topic of discussion among health ministers, sparking debates about alcohol consumption among young people in Germany.
