this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2024
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Something that is practically not enforced is that it is a minor offense for barkeepers to give drunk people more to drink.
An important thing to differentiate is the youth protection laws compared with the US. In Germany it is not illegal for minors to be in the posession of alcohol or to drink alcohol. It is the responsibility of the adults around them, to not sell or give them alcohol as well as to prevent them from drinking.
And that is very important, because in the US the teenagers get punished by law for being caught with alcohol, which is completely wrong. The idea of these laws is that minors are not yet responsible enough for handling alcohol properly. So it is logical that it is societies responsibility to protect them from alcohol. But the minors cannot know any better, as is the spirit of the law.
It is completely wrong to hold someone responsible for something that you declare him to be incapable of being responsible for. I think this example illustrates well, how legal systems can focus on deterrence and retaliation or how they can focus on integration and rehabilitation. (It is a spectrum of course)
Bit of a misunderstanding. In the US if a minor is sold alcohol by a bar/liquor store the business will lose their liquor license. This is a huge incentive for adults to check who they are selling to before a cop finds out where they got it.
If a minor is caught drinking the majority of police will contact their guardian. If it’s repeated then they usually issue a small fine that can be offset if they partake in AA.
Idk about where you are, but in my state, you can lose your driver's license if you are under 21 and in possession of alcohol. Granted, I've never known of that punishment ever being enforced, but it is a possibility. That's why young cashiers have to call over someone else to scan my beer.