Germany to ban 14- and 15-year-olds from drinking alcohol with adults

The German government has approved a draft law that would prohibit 14- and 15-year-olds from consuming alcohol while under the supervision of an adult. Under existing German Youth Protection Act, teenagers aged 14 and 15 are allowed to drink beer, wine, or sparkling wine if an adult with parental responsibility is present. Family Minister Karin Prien, who proposed the bill, contends that the current legislation fails to adequately safeguard young people's health and conflicts with the government's overarching strategy to curb addiction.

The rules permitting 16-year-olds to independently purchase and consume beer, wine, and sparkling wine and 18-year-olds to buy spirits will remain unaltered. In neighboring nations like France, the Netherlands, and Poland, individuals must be at least 18 years old to buy alcohol, regardless of whether it is beer, wine, or spirits.

The proposed law will undergo a vote in both the Bundestag and Bundesrat. Despite the German government's commitment to tightening restrictions on underage drinking, recent data indicates that young Germans are consuming alcohol less frequently. A 2024 study by the Federal Institute for Public Health found that only 6.9% of girls and 12.4% of boys aged 12 to 17 reported drinking alcohol at least once per week, a figure that is less than half of the rate reported in 2004.

Moreover, alcohol consumption among adults has been declining for the past four decades. In 1980, the average German aged 15 consumed 15.1 liters of alcohol per month, compared to 10.5 liters per month in 2024.