Other countries, other customs - Fourteen-year-olds get alcohol from us - and abroad?
According to the Youth Protection Law, minors up to the age of 14 can drink beer, wine, or sparkling wine - also champagne - if a "responsible person" is present. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach now advocates for a ban on this so-called "accompanied drinking" for 14- to 16-year-olds. "From a health policy perspective, there can be no two opinions on this issue," said the SPD politician to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "The presence of adults does not change the harmfulness of alcohol for children. Therefore, accompanied drinking should be prohibited."
In other countries, this is handled much more strictly. Alcohol purchase and consumption are completely banned for all citizens and/or Muslims in countries like Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Those who violate this can end up in prison. In India, the situation varies from state to state. In the capital New Delhi, for example, the legal drinking age is 25 years. No country in Asia allows minors under 18 to legally consume alcohol.
Nicaragua has similar rules regarding alcohol for teenagers as Germany
In North, Central, and South America, only Nicaragua (alcohol at 14 in restaurants), Barbados, Grenada, St. Nevis, and St. Kitts (minimum age 16) make an exception to the generally applicable 18 to 21 years.
And in Africa? Several countries have no laws whatsoever regulating the protection of minors from alcohol. At the earliest, teenagers in Gambia can drink (at 16), and at the latest, the inhabitants of Eritrea can (at 25).
In our neighboring Denmark, one can buy beer and wine legally from the age of 16. The same applies in France, but only in the presence of parents. In Britain, Switzerland, and Austria, the same thing holds true. In Italy and Spain, however, minors are not allowed to buy any alcohol at all.
The idea of banning accompanied drinking for teenagers is also met with skepticism. Every step to prevent minors from consuming alcohol is good for their health, said the health political spokesperson for the CDU/CSU Bundestagsfraktion, Tino Sorge, to the news agency DPA. Laws must measure up to reality: "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 teenager who tries a sip of beer from their father for the first time will become an alcoholic.
Sorge emphasized that educational offers in schools and clubs, as well as attentive observation of the social environment of young people, are much more important. Most alcohol excesses occur where there are no parents present.
Despite advocating for a ban on "accompanied drinking" for 14- to 16-year-olds due to health concerns, some countries, like Denmark and France, allow minors to consume alcohol with parental supervision. However, the harmfulness of alcohol, regardless of adult presence, remains a concern for health advocates.
The text mentions Denmark and France as examples where minors can consume alcohol with parental supervision, but it's important to note that this does not imply endorsement of such practices from the author or the source material. The discussion about the appropriate age for alcohol consumption and the role of parental supervision is a complex and ongoing topic.
