Overview
- The Marburger Bund, which approved the plan Sunday at its Hannover assembly, wants high‑proof alcohol moved out of supermarkets, gas stations and kiosks and sold only in licensed specialty stores.
- The union backs scrapping the exception for “begleitetes Trinken,” a rule from 1952 that lets 14‑ and 15‑year‑olds drink beer, wine or sparkling wine with a legal guardian, aligning with plans at the Family Ministry.
- Leaders pair the retail proposal with a national prevention push that calls for public education, stronger school programs, more low‑threshold counseling and more research on alcohol use.
- Supporters point to Nordic models like Norway’s Vinmonopolet and Sweden’s Systembolaget, which restrict where stronger drinks are sold, as well as data showing Germany’s high use and dependence rates.
- Retailers’ lobby BVLH questions whether a shop ban would cut drinking and warns of workarounds, while the federal drugs commissioner Hendrik Streeck favors steps like moving alcohol away from checkout aisles and curbing sales at fuel stations.