E-Malt.com News article: Germany: Germany to scrap 'supervised drinking' of beer and wine from 14

Germany is set to scrap a decades-old law permitting 14- and 15-year-olds to legally drink alcohol in their parents' company, Yahoo! News reported on March 30.

A draft bill seen by dpa sets out to ban "supervised drinking" of beer and wine from the age of 14.

Germany has comparatively lax laws on underage drinking, with the consumption and purchase of beer, wine and sparkling wine legal from the age of 16.

The regulation on supervised drinking from the age of 14 dates back to 1952, but health ministers across Germany's states called for a ban last year due to the risk of addiction.

Youth Minister Karin Prien is including a repeal of the measure in her bill on child and youth welfare.

Supervised drinking "weakens the protection of young people from the dangers of alcohol abuse and thus contradicts the federal government’s objectives of better addiction prevention," the bill states.

It continues: “The exemption in the Youth Protection Act, which permits the consumption or purchase of alcoholic beverages by 14- and 15-year-olds accompanied by a person with parental responsibility, will be abolished.”

The draft bill is to be discussed with experts from industry associations and requires approval by the Cabinet and both houses of parliament. It is not yet clear when it could come into force.


01 April, 2026