German cabinet abolishes accompanied drinking for 14- and 15-year-olds

Cabinet approves ban on accompanied drinking

The German federal cabinet approved a draft law on 12 August 2026 abolishing the so-called "begleitetes Trinken," an exception in the Youth Protection Law that allowed 14- and 15-year-olds to purchase and consume beer, wine, and sparkling wine in public when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The bill, introduced by Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU), would establish a strict minimum age of 16 for the public purchase and consumption of those beverages. The current Youth Protection Law has been in force since 2003. The draft now goes to the Bundestag for deliberation.

The bill's text states that the existing exception "weakens the protection of young people from the significant health and social consequences of alcohol consumption" and contradicts the federal government's goals for improved addiction prevention. Spirits and other distilled beverages already remain restricted to adults only. The cabinet session was chaired by Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil.

Long-running campaign by states

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) has campaigned for years against the exception. In 2025, her state successfully brought an initiative to the Bundesrat demanding abolition, and the Conference of Health Ministers adopted corresponding steps on the state's initiative. Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrik Streeck also supported the ban.

Drese welcomed the cabinet's decision as an "important step for consistent youth protection and a great success for alcohol prevention." She has previously said she would prefer an age limit of 18, "like in the countries around us," but acknowledged that 16 would already be a success given the majorities required to amend the Youth Protection Law.

A 2025 Forsa survey commissioned by the Kaufmännische Krankenkasse found that nearly two-thirds of adults supported abolishing accompanied drinking.

Broader reform of child and youth welfare

The alcohol provision is part of a 56-page draft law whose primary purpose is a structural reform of child and youth welfare services (Kinder- und Jugendhilfe). The Family Ministry described the goal as making the system "future-proof," with help arriving faster and more precisely at families, municipal structures strengthened, and unnecessary bureaucracy reduced.

The reform touches on areas from foster family placements to simplified age verification for unaccompanied foreign minors. It also includes new provisions for children and youth with disabilities, who are entitled to assistance in daycare or school. The draft specifies that such assistance should ideally be provided as "group offerings" for multiple children; where no such "infrastructural offering" exists locally, an individual entitlement to guidance and support remains.

Concerns from social associations

Michaela Engelmeier of the Sozialverband Deutschland told the German Press Agency that her organisation is concerned about the possibility of organising school assistance jointly for multiple children. While shared assistance can work for some children, it does not suit children with more complex disabilities, she said.

“We see the possibility of organising school assistance more jointly for several children particularly critically.”

Prien stressed that the individual legal entitlement to needs-based help remains fully intact and that families must be able to rely on receiving necessary help in future.

“For this we need a support and protection system that is efficient, reliable and at the same time affordable.”

Costs and additional measures

According to the Federal Statistical Office, total spending on child and youth welfare by federal, state, and municipal governments reached €78.8 billion in 2024. Two-thirds of that went to childcare, and a further quarter to educational assistance, including the placement of young people in homes, shared housing, or foster families.

The cabinet also approved a separate "Frühstartrente" (early-start pension) under which the federal government would pay €10 per month into a retirement savings account for every child from age 6 to 18. The measure would first apply to children born in 2020, with each new cohort of 6-year-olds added annually from 2027. Payouts would generally not begin before age 65, and returns would be tax-free until the payout phase. Additionally, the cabinet approved new powers for customs to combat financial crime, including asset seizure without prior court proceedings, AI-based data analysis, and drone deployment.