Differences in Age

Germany is known for its beer. Unlike US citizens, Germans can drink beer at 16 or before that if they are accompanied by a parent. So it made us wonder, do kids in Germany consume alcohol before the legal drinking age as much as Americans do? What problems do the German’s face in regards to alcohol consumption?
One problem that does not seem so prevalent is drinking and driving. With many modes of public transportation and fewer cars, this would seem like less of a problem. Also, the driving age in Germany is 18, not like in the US where teens get their permits at 15. Could learning the influence of alcohol before being able to drive help with accidents? And where do Germans first learn about drinking responsibly? Another interesting part of Germany’s laws is that spirits are legal once a person turns 18.
In addition, it is very likely that you will find beer to be cheaper than water in Germany. In many parts of Europe, water is more costly because clean drinking water is hard to come by. Most Germans drink beer with all their meals and, therefore, it is perfectly legal to drink on the job (or during a lunch break). What is interesting is that laws seem to be much stricter pertaining to public drunkenness in Germany.