Germany’s cabinet has approved new rules that will put an end to a long tradition of ‘supervised drinking,’ a loophole in the country’s alcohol laws that has allowed 14 and 15 year-olds to drink wine or beer while out with their families.
The rule is being changed because of concern about increased drinking among young people and because it weakens efforts to shield young people from the health and social consequences of drinking, according to the Family Minister.
Germany’s drinking age is 16 for beer and wine, and 18 for other spirits. The government had recently also considered raising the overall drinking age to 18, but abandoned that in the face of wide opposition. The rules must still be approved by the Bundestag, but that is likely to happen soon.
Ironically, the rate of youth drinking in Germany has been 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.
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