The SPD in the Bundestag has endorsed the proposal put forward by Carola Reimann, chairman of the AOK Federation, to restrict the sale of alcohol at gas stations. Christos Pantazis, the fraktion’s health policy spokesman, commented to the newspaper “Die Welt” (Thursday edition) that alcohol is currently available almost around the clock and often at extremely low prices in Germany. He suggested that this “almost self-evident availability” needs scrutiny, noting that gas stations in many areas allow the purchase of alcoholic beverages late into the night. Therefore, he believes that limiting the supply of alcohol at fuel stations more strictly is sensible. Pantazis emphasized that society should not accept alcohol being available at all times and virtually everywhere, adding that data from other countries shows that measures limiting availability can help reduce alcohol consumption and related harm.
The health policy representative of the Left Party, Ates Gürpinar, cautioned that the discussion must not be confined to gas stations. He argued that alcohol needs to be removed from the so-called “snack zones” in supermarkets. Regarding high-proof alcohol specifically, he insisted that the overall availability must be considered, and sales should be much more restricted to specialized retailers. Gürpinar asserted that no one should profit from the fact that alcohol and tobacco are damaging to health and highly addictive. Consequently, besides responsible sales regulation and a ban on advertising, he stressed the critical need for robust addiction counseling, social work, and prevention programs. Anyone serious about health protection, he concluded, must combine reduced availability with increased support for those needing help.
In contrast, Martin Sichert, the health policy spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group, stated that it is not the state’s role to keep people away from all life risks. His party advocates for greater awareness regarding the dangers of alcohol consumption and for increased personal responsibility, but opposes further state prohibitions and punitive taxes. Sichert maintains that the need is for competent, informed citizens, not for prohibition obsessions. “As a society, we must move away from always forbidding or pricing up everything that doesn’t align with certain groups’ preferences-be it fossil fuels, holiday flights, or even alcohol.”
Researcher Heino Stöver identified the close accessibility of alcohol as a major issue, noting that people encounter the normalcy of alcohol consumption everywhere. The statistics highlight that alcohol consumption is anything but normal: at least eight million Germans drink to a level that harms their health, and approximately two million of these meet the criteria for addiction.
