Overview
- The Greens' Bundestag faction has adopted a motion and will table it in parliament during Alcohol Action Week from June 13 to 21 to press for a national Alcohol Prevention Act.
- A central demand is to end 'begleitetes Trinken', the current rule that allows 14‑year‑olds to drink beer or wine under parental supervision, and the Family Ministry is reportedly preparing a legal change on that point.
- The proposal bundles concrete steps including tighter age checks at sale, limits on alcohol advertising that targets young people, reviewing supermarket checkout placement to curb impulse buys, taxation tied to alcohol content, and more funding for prevention and treatment.
- As an opposition initiative the motion must win cross‑party backing to become law, and the Greens say the package is meant to increase pressure on Chancellor Merz’s coalition to act on alcohol policy.
- Coverage frames the push as a response to high per‑capita drinking and health burdens — WHO data cited 11.2 liters of pure alcohol per person (age 15+) in 2022 and the federal drugs office estimates about 15.3% of adults 18–59 have risky consumption, roughly 7 million people, with about 1.6 million dependent — changes could affect prices, retail rules and youth exposure to alcohol.