Is It Legal to Drink in Public in Germany

For example: Before, it was perfectly okay to drink in downtown Berlin Mitte on Alexanderplatz. Then there were a few summers of love, peace and drunkenness – literally hundreds of teenagers gathered at the foot of Berlin`s TV tower and drank the night halfway. Now city officials have changed the law – or in fact, they have just enacted additional rules for Alexanderplatz and now consumption is no longer allowed on this part of Alexanderplatz. But if you`re sitting on one of the park`s benches and enjoying a beer or two, this should probably suit the local authorities perfectly. First of all: in Berlin, the consumption of alcohol in public is generally not prohibited – neither in Berlin nor elsewhere in Germany. Or to put it another way: in Germany, drinking in public is allowed. You won`t get a ticket if you walk down the street and drink a beer – and you won`t get a fine if you drink a bottle of wine in the park. Drinking in public is almost a national heritage, considering all the beer gardens, pic-and-beers after work. And the drinking age in Germany is relatively low: you basically have to be 16 to be allowed to drink alcohol in Germany. But before we get into the details, let`s start with a fair warning: this rule is sometimes discussed in Germany, but most German beer drinkers (and especially in the south) will agree: it is absolutely sacrilegious to drink a wheat beer (or wheat beer or Hefeweizen – different words, same style) from the bottle. The United States may be at the forefront of beer brewing, but much of its beer drinking culture is archaic, with laws and practices dating back to prohibition and before. This applies in particular to public consumption.

America has only a handful of exemptions to widespread open container laws — the most famous being in New Orleans, on Beale Street in Memphis, and in cities like Hood River, Oregon, and Butte, Mt. Unlike many other countries, drinking alcohol and especially beer in public in Germany is not only legal, but widespread. The so-called after-work beer is still a living part of German beer and work culture. That`s why you can easily see workers coming home or taking the bus with a can or bottle of beer in hand, and no one will care. But beware: on some public trains or buses, it is forbidden to drink alcohol, so pay attention to the signs. Especially in summer, it is also common to drink a beer outside at the lake, in the park or on the beach. You don`t need to cover your bottle – just show it with pride. The blanket ban came into effect in mid-December after a number of mulled wine stalls emerged that raised concerns about people gathering to drink in public.

It has now been temporarily suspended, but the Bavarian state government has indicated that it will ask individual municipalities to impose local bans. Often people wonder how old you have to be to drink alcohol in Germany/Berlin – and how old do you have to be to drink alcohol in public? The legal drinking age in Germany – or actually the legal age to buy soft liquor like beer and wine in Germany – is 16. The minimum legal age for the purchase of «hard liquor» such as vodka liquor, gin or whisky in Germany is 18. However, these age limits for the purchase of alcohol also apply to consumption in public – or as German law says: «consumption and supply of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products in public», which would mean as much as «consumption of and access to alcohol and tobacco in public». So there are two interesting details hidden in this law that I want to highlight: «A common misconception, both in Germany and the United States, is that if you just drink beer or wine, you can`t be an alcoholic,» he said. This seems to be an even more prevalent attitude here in Germany. European Union countries were urged on Tuesday to do more to protect young people from the dangers of drinking too much alcohol, which is linked to a quarter of young male deaths in the bloc. (24.10.2006) «Right now you see younger and younger people drinking beer, which is becoming more and more accepted,» he added.

This article is not an advertisement for alcoholic beverages. Excessive alcohol consumption is bad for your health. Drinking on the streets of Madrid and Barcelona is illegal, and this is due to the local tradition of botellón (literally «big bottle»), according to which locals, especially poor teenagers, gather near nightclubs and clubs to drink and try to save money. This type of behavior can lead to unpleasant things like yelling, something that irritates even noisy Spaniards, quarrels, fights and, worst of all, finds loud music in speakers placed outside. False, false, false. Germany may have a frosty time and a militaristic past, but the right to drink in public is considered as natural as the right to vote. The drinking age starts at 16, so the subway in a big city on a weekend night tends to have at least one gang of kids swinging with the train clicking and burping Beck`s. British and American tourists get used to organized tours, happily walking the streets with open bottles as soon as they learn it`s «allowed» – which may not technically be the case.

The parks fill up in summer with Berliners armed with bockwurst, a personal grill and lots of wine or beer. Germany is one of the most alcoholic countries in Europe and ranks fifth after Luxembourg, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Ireland. Only about five percent of Germans describe themselves as teetotalers, making it the European country with the lowest proportion of people abstaining from alcohol after Luxembourg. It is forbidden to drink on the streets in Thailand if the street is adjacent to a temple. You are not allowed to drink in the parks, as religious ceremonies may take place there. You are not allowed to drink at petrol stations and near educational establishments. You can be punished quite severely if you violate these rules – 10,000 baht / 312.50 $ 284.00 € or even a prison sentence of 6 months. § 9 Alcoholic beverages(1) On authorized premises, at points of sale or elsewhere in public places One might think that the English prudes are hot when drinking outside, but this is not the case. You can have a drink in public (although it`s best to use plastic containers) as long as you don`t misbehave – and that doesn`t mean refusing a cup of tea, but making too much noise, fighting, and swearing. You should also not be drunk in places where it is obviously inappropriate, such as in church.

Fines start at £40.00 / $50.00 / €45.50. Private consumption by minors is not regulated by a specific legal restriction. However, protection from physical and mental harm is part of the general duty of care of parents. [1] With regard to the purchase and consumption of alcohol in public places (e.g. pubs and restaurants), there are three age limits for drinking alcohol in Germany, which are regulated in § 9 of the Youth Protection Act[2]: Wasted youth groups who drink beer from bottles and leave empty bottles under the seat should probably be banned in Germany. As everyone knows, Germans are neat, efficient and clean – a disciplined Northern European population that would never tolerate public drunkenness. In many cities, it is customary to impose fines for breaking a beer in the park. And finally, Berlin is not a Third World waterhole like Juarez or Tijuana. Or casual and French, like Paris or New Orleans. Right? The situation with alcohol is much simpler – after all, it is a land of wine. You can drink on the street, but only in plastic containers, because glass can be used as a weapon. You can enjoy your Pinot Grigio or any other alcoholic beverage that will whet your appetite for plastic anywhere in Italy.

It may not be tasteful or aesthetic, but what can you do? By the way, alcohol is sold to anyone in China for whom ID is not required – including children, but they don`t drink it – parents send their children to the store to buy it for them.