Bavaria under fire: Lower Saxony demands the end of accompanied drinking!

Bavaria under fire: Lower Saxony demands the end of accompanied drinking!

In a heated discourse on the protection of minors, Lower Saxony criticized Bavaria on July 11, 2025 for the abolition of the accompanied drinking. Health Minister Andreas Philippi (SPD) was irritated by the decision of the Free State, which was discussed in the Health Ministers' Conference in June. At that time, the countries had agreed on a joint procedure to create a uniform set of rules. Particularly piquant: In 2024, the proposal came from Lower Saxony to abolish the accompanied drink, but now you feel surprised by Bavaria. [Regionalheute] (https://regionalheute.de/Niedersachsen/niedersachsen-niedersachsen-niedersachsen-bayern-fuer-allein-im-Bundesrat-175250202/) reports to the youth protection law and a nationwide solution that also includes preventive measures.

"Bavaria's Hauruck campaign" was not only heard in Lower Saxony. The debate about the accompanied drinking has been in progress for a long time. Since 1952, German young people aged 14 and over have been allowed to drink beer and wine accompanied by their parents, a regulation that has now been targeted. The health ministers of the federal states are clearly committed to a legal ban on accompanied drinking. Katharina Schenk, the chairwoman of the Health Ministers' Conference, emphasizes that alcohol is a major problem with children and adolescents. It takes more than just appeals to combat alcohol abuse-the targeted change from the youth protection law could be the first step here, as [https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/al alcohol consumption-minderjaehrige-gesundminister-100.html) 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 are a week. The first contact with alcohol is often made at the age of 14 or even earlier. This development makes it necessary to take a closer look at the applicable regulations. How the discussion about the accompanied drinking is clear that the current regulation in the Youth Protection Act from 1952 urgently needs to be revised. The law allows the young people to drink beer and wine in public, accompanied by care, while selling harder drinks under the age of 18 is still prohibited. This exemption is now on the brink, and not without reason. Dr. Johannes Nießen, provisional director of the Federal Institute for Public Health, draws attention to the health risks of early alcohol consumption. [WDR] (https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/begleites-trinken- alcohol-Jugendschutz-gesetz-100.html) also reports that despite slight deregistration in alcohol consumption by Corona, many young people return to old behavior patterns.