Bavaria under fire: Lower Saxony calls for an end to accompanied drinking!

Bavaria under fire: Lower Saxony calls for an end to accompanied drinking!

In a heated debate about the protection of minors on July 11, 2025, Lower Saxony criticized Bavaria for going it alone to abolish accompanied drinking. Health Minister Andreas Philippi (SPD) was irritated by the Free State's decision, which was discussed completely differently at the Health Ministers' Conference in June. At that time, the states had agreed on a common approach to create a uniform set of rules. Particularly spicy: The proposal to abolish accompanied drinking came from Lower Saxony as early as 2024, but now Bavaria feels taken by surprise. RegionalHeute reports on Philippi's demand to revise the Youth Protection Act and to find a nationwide solution that also includes preventative measures.

“Bayern's Hauruck campaign” was not only heard in Lower Saxony. The debate about accompanied drinking has been going on for a long time. Since 1952, German teenagers aged 14 and over have been allowed to drink beer and wine when accompanied by their parents, a regulation that has now come under fire. The health ministers of the federal states are clearly committed to a legal ban on accompanied drinking. Katharina Schenk, chairwoman of the Conference of Health Ministers, emphasizes that alcohol is a major problem among children and young people. It takes more than just appeals to combat alcohol abuse - the envisaged change to the Youth Protection Act could be the first step here, as Tagesschau reports.

Youth protection and alcohol: a sensitive topic

The numbers speak for themselves: Currently, 6.9% of girls and 12.4% of boys aged 12 to 17 drink alcohol weekly. The first contact with alcohol often occurs at the age of 14 or even earlier. This development makes it necessary to take a closer look at the applicable regulations. When it comes to the discussion about accompanied drinking, it becomes clear that the current regulation in the Youth Protection Act from 1952 urgently needs to be revised. The law allows young people to drink beer and wine in public when accompanied by a guardian, while the sale of harder drinks under the age of 18 remains prohibited. This exemption is now in jeopardy, and not without reason. Dr. Johannes Nießen, acting head of the Federal Institute for Public Health, draws attention to the health risks of early alcohol consumption. [WDR].

In summary, it can be said that new ways of combating alcohol abuse among young people urgently need to be found. The health of our young generation is at stake, and no country should act alone. There is a lot of work ahead of us to ensure the safety and well-being of our children and young people.