Alcohol: Minister of Health want to prohibit “accompanied drinking”

The health ministers of the federal states are pushing for a legal ban on the so -called accompanied drinking of young people aged 14 and over. Alcohol as a widespread drug is a major problem in children and adolescents, said the chairwoman of the Health Ministers’ Conference, Thuringia’s department head Katharina Schenk (SPD) at the end of the meeting with their colleagues in Weimar. Appeals alone would not change the abuse.

The state health ministers followed an application from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which aims at a corresponding change from the Youth Protection Act. Young people in Germany can regularly buy and drink beer, wine and sparkling wine from the age of 16. Accompanied by a custodian, however, this is allowed from the age of 14 – also in restaurants or in public. According to the will of the heads of department, the corresponding regulation in the current Youth Protection Act from 1952 is to be abolished.

Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken (CDU) supports the concerns of the state chiefs: “I think the advance that the Minister of Health has now made it is good.” In the case of youth protection- which, in addition to alcohol consumption, also includes media and drug use- is in an exchange with the Federal Minister of Family Affairs Karin Prien (CDU).

Last year, the Health Ministers’ Conference had already spoken out for a ban on accompanying drinking. Especially for young people, alcohol harbors significant health risks. Children, adolescents and young adults react more sensitively to alcohol because their organs and especially the brain still develop.