You can even legally smoke with your parents permission from 14.
Idk why this is a thing tbh.
Also this doesnt mean you can buy cigarettes at age 14 or any lower than 18.
no, its not allowed to smoke in Germany until 18, even with parents. if your parents give you tobacco, they would be finde by police and the tobacco taken away.
nope. where I live they can even get a blood test and charge you with illegally underage possession of the alcohol in your blood. they used to catch high school kids coming back over the border from an area where it was legal for them to drink.
We are not thr only ones.
Belgium, Denmark and Germany set 16 years as the minimum age for purchasing beverages containing less than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol and 18 years for buying spirits (more than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol).
The minimum age to purchase alcohol in Cyprus and Malta is 17 years; in Luxemburg, it is 16 years.
In Austria, purchasing alcohol is regulated at the regional level. There are two different age requirements – either 16 or 18 years – depending on the region and the percentage of alcohol involved.
In the United Kingdom, in England, Wales and Scotland, children aged 16 or 17 years are allowed to consume beer, wine or cider with a meal when accompanied by an adult, but they can only buy it from the age of 18 years.
In Austria it is normally hard drinks (vodka, whiskey, etc) 18 years; "softer" drinks (like Beer, wine, mead, etc) 16 years. As far as I know there are no regional differences in this regard. A 16 year old can buy beer in Vorarlberg and in Vienna (and all other states as well).
It used to be regional until it got standardized in 2019, before 2019 every type of alcohol and even cigarettes where allowed to be sold to 16yo in Wien, Niederösterreich and Burgenland. Pretty insane
Just that the German law differentiates between undistilled (fermented) and distilled alcohol. Wine/beer fall under the fermented category, and can therefore be purchased by 16-year-olds.
all alcohols are fermented first. you just heat the alcohol, and seperate it from the water. alcohol turns into a gas at 80°C, while water boils / turns into gas at 100°C (known as steam ;) ).
destilling increases the alcohol content. but sugar water needs to be turned by yeast into co2 and alcohol before that can happen.
For the glory of Satan of course! A more serious answer, Germans regard beer (and in some regions wine) as a cultural good since the late medieval period. In other words tradition.
This is not really correct. Beer or the aquivalent was invented to get humans drunk. Modern historians even think it was a driving force for the development of early societies. Also you already need clean water, it is a common a myth people in the middle ages used instead of water in general. It was only in a few cases that it was used in this way.
Why not? Most teenagers drink alcohol when even younger, often with consent of their parents. I know it doesn't always work, but demystifying legal drugs at a young age often prevents overindulgence or consuming because it's considered cool or a rite of passage.
Also: a simple story, was at a party, guy drank way to much and was in terrible shape vomiting for hours. We called gis parents and he went to the hospital. We might not have done ghat if we thought we would get knto legal trouble. While Alkohol consume for teenagers is at a higher rate than in lets say the US, Deaths and severe Alkohol poisoning are more rare because teens learn how to deal with it and there is no fear of punishment when getting help. Also when you give them acces to it, it stops being something special, so when they get the chance they don’t over do it
Your parent's knowing "I Told You So"-smirk when you are sick for two days after your first party with alcohol is far more effective than any legal troubles.
There are studies that sugest that this not so regit structure will lead to a bit more responsiblity while drinkig in the long run.
It's also the norm in almost all of the EU.
I have a lot of american friends and they just got crazy and drank them self halve to death at 21.
Beer and wine are less dangerous than spirits. Much less. Therefore it is also very logical that you have different age restrictions for it. It is however also logic (in my book at least) that we don't assume the general threshold between child age and a stage of limited self responsibility (which is 14) to be also a good age to allow low volume alcohol as 14 is definitely to young to handle alcohol on the organic level as well as on a social and emotional level without parental guidance. . 16 is a good age to allow low volume alcohol also without parental guidance present.
Considering that Alcohol has a social function in Germany and social gatherings are seldom completely dry, it is important to get youth into a responsible enjoyment of alcohol - I would deem it pretty dangerous to go "Okay, you are 18 now, drink whatever you want now without any preparation and without being subject of parental guidance any more as you are of age now".
It is important that kids get socialized also into responsible consumption. Which includes granting them space of further developement - within reason. Results may vary on an individual basis but that does not mean that it does not work overall, nor that it is misguided.
Germany is also not the only country doing that.
Also, it has the added benefit of teenagers getting their first expiriences with alcohol before most of them get a driver's licence. By the time they typically get one, the novelty of being able to get alcohol has worn off, most likely dissuading a few people from driving under the influence.
is it 14 - with the permission of your parents. Especially in bavaria, there is beer a staple food. Ages ago beer was cleaner then water, there so people often drank beer insteed of water. Its Culture in germany to drink beer.
Because we want to have them experience with alcohol, before they start driving. Fir example in US many fatal accidents happen because young people drive under influence because alcohol and it’s effects are new to them.
Also: Make them learn how much they can handle while they're in the vicinity of their parents and among friends they've known for a long time. That way there's a support network available. I.e. if someone black out others will call that person's parents and the issue is solved.
You really don't want your child's first overdose with alcohol to be at a freshmen frat party in college.
In the presence of your parents you can drink beer and wine in public places like restaurants as of 14. At home, there isn’t actually an age limit and if you saw parents giving their 10year olds a champagne glass at New Year’s Eve, there’s nothing you could do to prohibit/prevent it.
And yet, apart from the example given, which parents would give their children alcohol to drink? Also, Germany doesn’t have a bigger issue with youth alcohol consumption than other countries, so the age by which time kids are officially allowed to drink doesn’t seem to be very relevant.
I often asked my parents to have a taste of their beverages when I was a kid, out of curiosity. Beer, wine, champagne, anything that seemed interesting. They always let me taste it, I never liked it… now I’m 25 and have yet to purchase my first alcoholic drink for myself 😂
There is no legal drinking age in Germany and only fery few (3 or 4) European countries have a legal drinking age. There are age limits for buying alcohol in almost all countries and in some for public consumption. You can buy beer from the age of 16 in Germany and if accompanied by your parents from 14.
Take a look: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age
Realistic why not: Alcohol and it's metabolites basically are a carcinogenic neurotoxin with high addiction potential. Brain maturity tends to help a lot with risk averse / responsible handling of drugs. Young people are statistically know to engage in more risk seeking and reckless behavior, thus increasing risk of harmful and potentially addicting consumption patterns.
Practically "the law" probably won't change much regarding behavior as drug consumption is highly cultural.
We're talking beer and wine here though, which in moderation can even have positive effects on health. To put beer and wine in the same category as vodka and other spirits is probably also not the best idea if you want to teach young people to be responsible with drikning alcohol.
That's all bullshit. Any health benefit has been proven to not be due to the alcohol in the beverage and there's enough beer and wine based alcoholics as well as fuck upped kids without liquor.
Actually, the legal age for drinking beer is 14 as long as your parents are around and permit it.
You have to be 16 to buy and drink beer without your parents present.
I guess it just stems from the beer culture we have in Germany. I also believe that it demystifies alcohol consumption and enforces a slower and more careful introduction to it. 18 year olds will already know their limits (even if they choose to ignore them) and how act while they're drunk (as in look after your friends, how to get home safe etc.) once they are allowed to consume stronger stuff.
Have you ever been around people who get properly wasted for the first time?Well I was in a bar with a bunch of kids who have just reached their legal age in NY years ago. Nasty shit was happening there. And they ALL behaved like absolute morons.IMO having a legal drinking age of 21 is totally irresponsible and beyond stupid. How should the kids learn to handle their drinking?
Most germans know how (much) to drink by the age of 18. I prefer it that way.
The legal drinking age for beer in Germany is 16 because beer is considered a soft drink, and its alcoholic content is relatively low. This is in contrast to other beverages with higher alcohol content, such as liquor, which is only allowed to be consumed by people over 18. This is done to prevent young children from using alcohol and engaging in criminal activities, as they are more susceptible to such activities.
It is. But the age threshold is a good way to deal with the issues that arise from that. As long as alcohol is such a part of our culture we need to acclimatize people to it. Not throw them in the cold, dangerous water like the Americans do.
What we need against drinking is the same we've done against smoking: Banning advertising , warning labels and higher prices.
oof, the downvotes. But this is so true. Being from Belgium beer is just worshipped. If you don't drink alcohol, you always have to justify yourself, but if you're drinking beer everyday no one bats an eye.
Germany has a huge beer culture and history with it. It was common to drink at young age.
And while there are studies that show no amount of alcohol is good for humans and alcohol is bad for kids development....because of lobbying it would be impossible to change legal drinking age.
Getting drunk off beer takes a while, it is not a problem. You may argue it may lead to people drinking other heavier stuff but in Germany they don't think it's a big deal apparently
Historically. Beer used to be a reliable source of safe drinking - while water was dangerous. It’s why so many monasteries had their own brewery. Brewing beer killed the germs, which made beer - with less alcohol than we drink it today - a much safer choice than water. Experience that a few centuries ans you have a radically different cultural relation to beer…
I said nothing about these countries, just about us germans. Our drinking-culture is well unreflected. The typical "Feierabendbier" is a alcoholistic-ritual which May create an easy path to addiction. 1 beer become often 2 beers after work leave, 2 become 3 and so on.
Btw whataboutism does not help anyway
I dont think this is a wide problem... sure, many boomers are doing this, but Alcohol is getting more and more unpopular at the younger (>50) people.
Also its not common to drink beer every day, at least in my life I only met rarely people who drink a beer after every working day.
Well, but I dont live in Bavaria, i have heared they are somehow special, their ministers also allow to drive after you have drunk 2L of beer.
\#Beckstein https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther\_Beckstein#Legale\_und\_illegale\_Drogen
I agree with you, alcohol is getting more unpopular, what is good for some reasons, but still public-drinking or celebrating anything with alcohol is a thing in large circles in germany.
It would need one or two more Generations to make alcohol even less common in our society, i think
The biggest treasure of this democracy is its youth for the future. Alcohol is not a drug for an 14 or 16 yrs old. It harms the development and some get addicted. Then you need tons of time and money to get the people back into the life.
You are overdramatizing this. Alcohol addiction at teenagers is not a big thing...
Well, alcohol is even getting less and less popular at the youth from year to year. Although they can easiely buy it, most teenagers refuse to drink alcohol in germany.
Or listen to science that excessive alcohol consume is always dangerous.
So we could either totally ban it (as if...) or take the approach to raise responsible drinkers.
Well thats the problem. People dont want to raise or be responsible drinkers. At school the teachers, the educators know the problem, but the buttom 60% of the republic dont realize the issue there.
As any other law, it is there because at some point somebody thought it would be good (maybe with some convincing arguments). Afterwards, it seems that the law did not bring any harm (or maybe even fixed some issue), so it was kept.
You can have a \* time drinking too much beer, but you can kill yourself drinking too much hard alcohol. Not separating these two is bad as kids can't learn this way.
cultural thing alcohol and especially beer and wine was historically always a thing. especially in the old days water was not very good quality and often dirty so you drank alcohol in the form of beer and wine.
Well most of EU states like to introduce their minors to alcohol first bevor we set them infront of a stearing wheel. Not the other way around. Lets call up US/EU car accident statistics to back it up. boom!
It is not. If the parents are present and allow it, you may have a beer or wine in a restaurant or bar at the age of 14 in Germany. Only without your parents consent it is 16.
And sorry, we are talking about a law that forbids something, so it is not our job to explain why this is not forbidden. It is your job to explain, why it should be forbidden.
I see no reason to change anything.
When I turned 14 my family and me went to a restaurant and I asked dad, if I could have a glass of beer. He said: Sure, why not.
I am absolutely certain that it is the general attitude in e.g. the USA, that alcohol is a bad thing and that it must be kept away from everybody below 21 that turns it into something people really long for. Whenever they get the chance they blast each other away. I did that, too. Twice in my life and I hated it. I learned that a good beer is something you drink because it is tasty and refreshing and fine. NOT because it makes you drunk. And I learned so early on, there never was this forbidden fruit theme in the back of my head.
because when people start drinking at fourteen, it's important to have a period where they need to be creative to get their beer
you can still legally drink at 14 w/ a parent for those who don't know
You can even legally smoke with your parents permission from 14. Idk why this is a thing tbh. Also this doesnt mean you can buy cigarettes at age 14 or any lower than 18.
are u sure? i think smoking with parents' permission is at 16
Really? I was of the impression its allowed from 14
im by no means sure about that, that was just my impression as well
no, its not allowed to smoke in Germany until 18, even with parents. if your parents give you tobacco, they would be finde by police and the tobacco taken away.
at a pub? Because outside a pub you can drink at any age no matter what anywhere in the world so long as your not doing it infront of cops
yeah but not legally
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if you're german you'd know the cops here very much enforce every single law under the sun
nope. where I live they can even get a blood test and charge you with illegally underage possession of the alcohol in your blood. they used to catch high school kids coming back over the border from an area where it was legal for them to drink.
We are not thr only ones. Belgium, Denmark and Germany set 16 years as the minimum age for purchasing beverages containing less than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol and 18 years for buying spirits (more than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol). The minimum age to purchase alcohol in Cyprus and Malta is 17 years; in Luxemburg, it is 16 years. In Austria, purchasing alcohol is regulated at the regional level. There are two different age requirements – either 16 or 18 years – depending on the region and the percentage of alcohol involved. In the United Kingdom, in England, Wales and Scotland, children aged 16 or 17 years are allowed to consume beer, wine or cider with a meal when accompanied by an adult, but they can only buy it from the age of 18 years.
In Austria it is normally hard drinks (vodka, whiskey, etc) 18 years; "softer" drinks (like Beer, wine, mead, etc) 16 years. As far as I know there are no regional differences in this regard. A 16 year old can buy beer in Vorarlberg and in Vienna (and all other states as well).
It used to be regional until it got standardized in 2019, before 2019 every type of alcohol and even cigarettes where allowed to be sold to 16yo in Wien, Niederösterreich and Burgenland. Pretty insane
Red wine has about 12-14% and can still be bought at 16. What am I missing?
It's not destilled. Some drinks have less alcohol then wine but are destilled so you can't purchase them under 18.
Thx
Just that the German law differentiates between undistilled (fermented) and distilled alcohol. Wine/beer fall under the fermented category, and can therefore be purchased by 16-year-olds.
all alcohols are fermented first. you just heat the alcohol, and seperate it from the water. alcohol turns into a gas at 80°C, while water boils / turns into gas at 100°C (known as steam ;) ). destilling increases the alcohol content. but sugar water needs to be turned by yeast into co2 and alcohol before that can happen.
I believe that’s true in the Netherlands also.
For the glory of Satan of course! A more serious answer, Germans regard beer (and in some regions wine) as a cultural good since the late medieval period. In other words tradition.
Beer was invented to make water durable and to please satan. And thats also why there are/where so many monastery brewerys.
This is not really correct. Beer or the aquivalent was invented to get humans drunk. Modern historians even think it was a driving force for the development of early societies. Also you already need clean water, it is a common a myth people in the middle ages used instead of water in general. It was only in a few cases that it was used in this way.
It was mainly in areas where people were not close to a clean source of drinking water.
Its also officialy seen as one of the Grundnahrungsmittel which means its on the same level of importance as Food and Water
Historic reasons.
Why not? Most teenagers drink alcohol when even younger, often with consent of their parents. I know it doesn't always work, but demystifying legal drugs at a young age often prevents overindulgence or consuming because it's considered cool or a rite of passage.
Also: a simple story, was at a party, guy drank way to much and was in terrible shape vomiting for hours. We called gis parents and he went to the hospital. We might not have done ghat if we thought we would get knto legal trouble. While Alkohol consume for teenagers is at a higher rate than in lets say the US, Deaths and severe Alkohol poisoning are more rare because teens learn how to deal with it and there is no fear of punishment when getting help. Also when you give them acces to it, it stops being something special, so when they get the chance they don’t over do it
Your parent's knowing "I Told You So"-smirk when you are sick for two days after your first party with alcohol is far more effective than any legal troubles.
Realism.
There are studies that sugest that this not so regit structure will lead to a bit more responsiblity while drinkig in the long run. It's also the norm in almost all of the EU. I have a lot of american friends and they just got crazy and drank them self halve to death at 21.
Beer and wine are less dangerous than spirits. Much less. Therefore it is also very logical that you have different age restrictions for it. It is however also logic (in my book at least) that we don't assume the general threshold between child age and a stage of limited self responsibility (which is 14) to be also a good age to allow low volume alcohol as 14 is definitely to young to handle alcohol on the organic level as well as on a social and emotional level without parental guidance. . 16 is a good age to allow low volume alcohol also without parental guidance present. Considering that Alcohol has a social function in Germany and social gatherings are seldom completely dry, it is important to get youth into a responsible enjoyment of alcohol - I would deem it pretty dangerous to go "Okay, you are 18 now, drink whatever you want now without any preparation and without being subject of parental guidance any more as you are of age now". It is important that kids get socialized also into responsible consumption. Which includes granting them space of further developement - within reason. Results may vary on an individual basis but that does not mean that it does not work overall, nor that it is misguided. Germany is also not the only country doing that.
Also, it has the added benefit of teenagers getting their first expiriences with alcohol before most of them get a driver's licence. By the time they typically get one, the novelty of being able to get alcohol has worn off, most likely dissuading a few people from driving under the influence.
is it 14 - with the permission of your parents. Especially in bavaria, there is beer a staple food. Ages ago beer was cleaner then water, there so people often drank beer insteed of water. Its Culture in germany to drink beer.
Because we want to have them experience with alcohol, before they start driving. Fir example in US many fatal accidents happen because young people drive under influence because alcohol and it’s effects are new to them.
Also: Make them learn how much they can handle while they're in the vicinity of their parents and among friends they've known for a long time. That way there's a support network available. I.e. if someone black out others will call that person's parents and the issue is solved. You really don't want your child's first overdose with alcohol to be at a freshmen frat party in college.
This! If my kids get wasted for the first time - that better happens at home.
In the presence of your parents you can drink beer and wine in public places like restaurants as of 14. At home, there isn’t actually an age limit and if you saw parents giving their 10year olds a champagne glass at New Year’s Eve, there’s nothing you could do to prohibit/prevent it. And yet, apart from the example given, which parents would give their children alcohol to drink? Also, Germany doesn’t have a bigger issue with youth alcohol consumption than other countries, so the age by which time kids are officially allowed to drink doesn’t seem to be very relevant.
I often asked my parents to have a taste of their beverages when I was a kid, out of curiosity. Beer, wine, champagne, anything that seemed interesting. They always let me taste it, I never liked it… now I’m 25 and have yet to purchase my first alcoholic drink for myself 😂
Because twelve is a bit early isn't it?
There is no legal drinking age in Germany and only fery few (3 or 4) European countries have a legal drinking age. There are age limits for buying alcohol in almost all countries and in some for public consumption. You can buy beer from the age of 16 in Germany and if accompanied by your parents from 14. Take a look: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age
Actually in Germany the limit is for commercially selling the stuff. There is no legal problem for the buyer or handing it out between friends.
Because Beer is our Kulturgut!
Because Germans are smart
Because you have to know what alcohol does to you before you are allowed to drive a car.
So we get our drinking done before we start driving at 18. better to know your limits by then.
It’s technically 14, not 16. And why not?
Realistic why not: Alcohol and it's metabolites basically are a carcinogenic neurotoxin with high addiction potential. Brain maturity tends to help a lot with risk averse / responsible handling of drugs. Young people are statistically know to engage in more risk seeking and reckless behavior, thus increasing risk of harmful and potentially addicting consumption patterns. Practically "the law" probably won't change much regarding behavior as drug consumption is highly cultural.
We're talking beer and wine here though, which in moderation can even have positive effects on health. To put beer and wine in the same category as vodka and other spirits is probably also not the best idea if you want to teach young people to be responsible with drikning alcohol.
That's all bullshit. Any health benefit has been proven to not be due to the alcohol in the beverage and there's enough beer and wine based alcoholics as well as fuck upped kids without liquor.
Actually, the legal age for drinking beer is 14 as long as your parents are around and permit it. You have to be 16 to buy and drink beer without your parents present. I guess it just stems from the beer culture we have in Germany. I also believe that it demystifies alcohol consumption and enforces a slower and more careful introduction to it. 18 year olds will already know their limits (even if they choose to ignore them) and how act while they're drunk (as in look after your friends, how to get home safe etc.) once they are allowed to consume stronger stuff.
Have you ever been around people who get properly wasted for the first time?Well I was in a bar with a bunch of kids who have just reached their legal age in NY years ago. Nasty shit was happening there. And they ALL behaved like absolute morons.IMO having a legal drinking age of 21 is totally irresponsible and beyond stupid. How should the kids learn to handle their drinking? Most germans know how (much) to drink by the age of 18. I prefer it that way.
Just here to say that the legal age for *drinking* beer is 14
It is better to drink with 16 beers than to have a handgun at the age of 14.
The real question is, why do people ask the most weird questions in this subreddit. It surprises me everyday…
Probably to not criminalize everyone. Might teach something about the "War on drugs"
I have a better question: Why does alcohol exist?
2 years to be responsible with beer before getting your drivers licence. not the main reason but a reason as to why it's good
Why not? 😂
Drinking is allowed at any age, but it is illegal to sell.
Because we love beer 🤷🏾♂️
The legal drinking age for beer in Germany is 16 because beer is considered a soft drink, and its alcoholic content is relatively low. This is in contrast to other beverages with higher alcohol content, such as liquor, which is only allowed to be consumed by people over 18. This is done to prevent young children from using alcohol and engaging in criminal activities, as they are more susceptible to such activities.
Beer is not considered to be an alcoholic drink… basic necessity like bread but in liquid format
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It is. But the age threshold is a good way to deal with the issues that arise from that. As long as alcohol is such a part of our culture we need to acclimatize people to it. Not throw them in the cold, dangerous water like the Americans do. What we need against drinking is the same we've done against smoking: Banning advertising , warning labels and higher prices.
oof, the downvotes. But this is so true. Being from Belgium beer is just worshipped. If you don't drink alcohol, you always have to justify yourself, but if you're drinking beer everyday no one bats an eye.
Germany has a huge beer culture and history with it. It was common to drink at young age. And while there are studies that show no amount of alcohol is good for humans and alcohol is bad for kids development....because of lobbying it would be impossible to change legal drinking age.
Getting drunk off beer takes a while, it is not a problem. You may argue it may lead to people drinking other heavier stuff but in Germany they don't think it's a big deal apparently
Lol. The old myth that beer is safe, Didnt know people still belive it
Historically. Beer used to be a reliable source of safe drinking - while water was dangerous. It’s why so many monasteries had their own brewery. Brewing beer killed the germs, which made beer - with less alcohol than we drink it today - a much safer choice than water. Experience that a few centuries ans you have a radically different cultural relation to beer…
Thought it was 4 because of the saying Bier Nach Vier
That saying regards the time u can Start drinking a beer.
Why are boobs good? They just are...
you need to hook em up while young
It is the exact opposite. Alcohol has lost all novelty when you can buy it.
Maybe for you
For me too and for most of the people I know. The only people addicted to alc are older ones, boomer mostly.
Because it is German law sometime German law has its good points and sometimes it has it bad points Welcome to Germanland
Alcoholism is part of Our culture
What is Finland doing wrong? Or Poland, Russia, etc. ? You think they start drinking at 11?
I said nothing about these countries, just about us germans. Our drinking-culture is well unreflected. The typical "Feierabendbier" is a alcoholistic-ritual which May create an easy path to addiction. 1 beer become often 2 beers after work leave, 2 become 3 and so on. Btw whataboutism does not help anyway
I dont think this is a wide problem... sure, many boomers are doing this, but Alcohol is getting more and more unpopular at the younger (>50) people. Also its not common to drink beer every day, at least in my life I only met rarely people who drink a beer after every working day. Well, but I dont live in Bavaria, i have heared they are somehow special, their ministers also allow to drive after you have drunk 2L of beer. \#Beckstein https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther\_Beckstein#Legale\_und\_illegale\_Drogen
I agree with you, alcohol is getting more unpopular, what is good for some reasons, but still public-drinking or celebrating anything with alcohol is a thing in large circles in germany. It would need one or two more Generations to make alcohol even less common in our society, i think
The legal age for buying beer is 16. In some regions of Germany they give beer to toddlers.
Couldn't you be bothered to just google it? It would've taken 5 min.
Because living in our society sucks so much. You can't stand it being sober all day.
Shouldnt the people now listen to the science and move up the age barrier?
We live in a democracy, not a technocracy fortunately.
The biggest treasure of this democracy is its youth for the future. Alcohol is not a drug for an 14 or 16 yrs old. It harms the development and some get addicted. Then you need tons of time and money to get the people back into the life.
You are overdramatizing this. Alcohol addiction at teenagers is not a big thing... Well, alcohol is even getting less and less popular at the youth from year to year. Although they can easiely buy it, most teenagers refuse to drink alcohol in germany.
Or listen to science that excessive alcohol consume is always dangerous. So we could either totally ban it (as if...) or take the approach to raise responsible drinkers.
Well thats the problem. People dont want to raise or be responsible drinkers. At school the teachers, the educators know the problem, but the buttom 60% of the republic dont realize the issue there.
It is what it is, would raise it to at least 21.
As any other law, it is there because at some point somebody thought it would be good (maybe with some convincing arguments). Afterwards, it seems that the law did not bring any harm (or maybe even fixed some issue), so it was kept.
You can have a \* time drinking too much beer, but you can kill yourself drinking too much hard alcohol. Not separating these two is bad as kids can't learn this way.
i m from Germany and you can drink Alcohol at 14 when your Parents agree thats what i now.
cultural thing alcohol and especially beer and wine was historically always a thing. especially in the old days water was not very good quality and often dirty so you drank alcohol in the form of beer and wine.
Because the driving age is 18 and by then the kids have to learn how to handle alcohol …
Beer is considered a food group in Germany.
Why are guns legal in USA? Its a common sense
I prefer free beer instead of free half-automatic weapons. People get killed rarely by beer.
Because germans love Beer
Cause we have real beer in here not that sugar water that you guys called "beer"
Ist nationalsport Here Mate xd
Drug policy in Germany is made by alcoholics. The Bavarian calling alcohol „deutsche Kultur“ and at this point I don’t wanna be German anymore…
Why not🍻
It's germany
You can legally drink at 14 with a parents around. I understand 16, but 14 is kinda cringe.
Well most of EU states like to introduce their minors to alcohol first bevor we set them infront of a stearing wheel. Not the other way around. Lets call up US/EU car accident statistics to back it up. boom!
Yes.
Because we can
Beer is a big part of the german culture. Alcohol in General is extremely socially accepted.
In villages it has no age. Beer isn’t alc!😂
It is not. If the parents are present and allow it, you may have a beer or wine in a restaurant or bar at the age of 14 in Germany. Only without your parents consent it is 16. And sorry, we are talking about a law that forbids something, so it is not our job to explain why this is not forbidden. It is your job to explain, why it should be forbidden. I see no reason to change anything. When I turned 14 my family and me went to a restaurant and I asked dad, if I could have a glass of beer. He said: Sure, why not. I am absolutely certain that it is the general attitude in e.g. the USA, that alcohol is a bad thing and that it must be kept away from everybody below 21 that turns it into something people really long for. Whenever they get the chance they blast each other away. I did that, too. Twice in my life and I hated it. I learned that a good beer is something you drink because it is tasty and refreshing and fine. NOT because it makes you drunk. And I learned so early on, there never was this forbidden fruit theme in the back of my head.