The German government said Wednesday it would scrap a legal provision that has allowed 14- and 15-year-olds to purchase and consume alcohol with their parents. The government said the abolition of so-called “accompanied drinking” would “protect young people from the considerable health and social effects of alcohol consumption”. The minimum age for drinking beer, wine and champagne is 16, rising to 18 for spirits and other harder drinks. The change in the law will have to pass parliament before taking effect. Germany’s GKV association of statutory health insurance funds called the move a “strong and important” boost to public health. “The longer children and young people are kept away from alcohol, the better it is for their health, said GKV spokesman Florian Lanz. “Because alcohol is broadly socially acceptable, we must always remind ourselves that alcohol consumption is harmful for health,” he said. On average around 10 litres of alcohol are consumed annually per person in Germany, according to the health ministry. That means the country has a “high alcohol consumption” when compared internationally, although rates are declining. A 2024 study found that 6.9 percent of girls and 12.4 percent of boys aged between 12 and 17 drank alcohol at least once a week, less than half the number that did so in 2004.
