Alcohol and driving do not go together! those who consume alcoholic beverages and still get behind the wheel endanger themselves and other road users: even small amounts alter perception, information processing and the ability to act. A reduction in visual performance already sets in from 0.2 per mille, moving light sources (e.g., sunlight) can be dangerous. B. Other cars) can no longer be perceived so well. At the same time, reaction times increase. Attention, concentration, critical faculties and judgment decline and the willingness to take risks increases.
Legal consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol
Ban on alcohol for novice drivers
Absolute ban on alcohol for drivers under 21 and novice drivers during their probationary period! Violation of the zero blood-alcohol limit carries the following penalties:
- Post-training seminar/retraining with costs of at least 200 euros
- Extension of the probationary period
- fine usually 250 euro
- 1 point in the central traffic register
From 0.3 per mille
If the driver shows signs of unsafe driving and causes an accident, he or she faces the following penalties:
- 2 points in the central traffic register (with driving ban)
- 3 points in the central traffic register (in case of revocation of driving license)
- Fine or imprisonment (up to 5 years)
From 0.5 per mille
Without signs of unsafe driving, the following penalties apply:
- 2 points in the central traffic register
- Fine up to 3.000 euro
- driving ban (up to 3 months)
From 0.5 per mille
If there are signs of unsafe driving and an accident is caused, the following penalties apply:
- 2 points in the central traffic register (with driving ban)
- 3 points in the central traffic register (in case of revocation of driving license)
- fine or imprisonment (up to 5 years)
From 1.1 per mille
The following penalties apply in any case:
- 3 points in the central traffic register
- fine or imprisonment (up to 5 years)
- Revocation of driving license
Degradation speed
The rate of degradation of alcohol in men is approx. 0.15 per mille/hr. And for women approx. 0.1 per mille/hr. example: if a man weighing 80 kg drinks 0.5 liters of wine or 1 liter of beer (corresponding to approx. 40 grams of pure alcohol) this results in a blood alcohol concentration of 0.7 per mille (without food). Only after approx. 5 hours the alcohol has completely decomposed. Caution: due to residual alcohol in the body, driving a car the morning after a "long night of partying" can also be dangerous.
Important:
The reduction of blood alcohol concentration cannot be achieved by eating, drinking (z. B. coffee) or fresh air accelerate!
Tips for "partygoers
- If you are going out with friends, you should always check at the beginning of the evening who is going to drive and thus stay sober.
- "support" the rider by buying him or her non-alcoholic drinks and/or contributing to the cost of gasoline.
- If you use public transportation, it is important to know the appropriate departure times or to plan your trip accordingly. Have a timetable at hand.
- You should always have the telephone numbers of cab companies with you and plan to have enough cash for a cab. So it’s best to keep a fixed amount separate from the rest of your money in your pocket as a "cab reserve.
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The majority of consumers use alcoholic beverages responsibly and enjoy them in moderation. Alcoholic beverages, however, are not "normal food". Within certain limits and conditions, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is not harmful to health.
Exceeding certain limits, on the other hand, increases the risk of damage to health. These limits also depend on gender and age. In connection with certain chronic diseases (e. g. B. diabetes, allergies, migraines) or medication, there may be additional risks. Here, you as a consumer can obtain comprehensive information about:
- The effect of alcohol
- Threshold values for low-risk consumption (men and women)
- Risks
Alcohol has an effect on a number of bodily functions. Here you will find further topics to help you take to heart a healthy, conscious approach to alcoholic beverages:
- Potency
- Immune system
- Medication
- Energy drinks
- Diabetes
- Migraine
- Alcohol and anxiety
- Allergies
- Elderly
- Teenagers
- Parents
- Women
- Men
- Where does the hangover come from?




Enjoyment has many facets – but without the right measure it is not possible! On this page you will find many suggestions about the conditions of enjoyment: time, balance, necessity, a nice ambience, the company of nice people and of course the products themselves play a central role. But each of us has his or her own limits to enjoyment, when the focus is no longer on the positive experience of the moment of enjoyment, but on its effect.
You can find suggestions on the subject of enjoyment here:
- Videos with pleasure messages
- Enjoying cocktails in moderation
- The production of spirits
- Aperitif and digestif
- Interview on the subject of enjoyment with dr. Bernecker




Here you will find nutritional and ingredient information about the types of spirits sold in the EU and in germany. These are listed alphabetically from A to Z. The calorie label is shown in the usual German drinking unit of 20 ml and next to it in 100 ml – as well as a list of ingredients, the complete nutritional declaration and other important information about the production process. The database includes minimum standards for spirituous beverages.






Alcoholic beverages require a high degree of responsibility on the part of the manufacturer or importer of alcoholic beverages – in sales, marketing and advertising.
Responsible action also includes sensible, comprehensible and effective self-regulation that goes beyond legal regulations. For example, the alcoholic beverage manufacturing and importing industry has adopted a number of voluntary rules to prevent abusive consumption:
- In the field of advertising
- In the field of brand names and packaging of spirits
- In the field of the sale of spirits and spirituous beverages
- In the area of online trade with spirits
In addition, various prevention initiatives of the BSI’s "working group on alcohol and responsibility" support the goal of consistently complying with the protection of minors and preventing abusive consumption in certain situations (pregnancy, traffic, workplace).
- Marketing
- Sale
- Dispensing
- Self-regulation of the german advertising council
- Policy paper
- Prevention






Alcoholic beverages are a traditional cultural asset for our society and are offered on a wide variety of occasions. In doing so, everyone should make a responsible decision for themselves as to whether the consumption of alcoholic beverages is appropriate in their particular situation. On the other hand, there should be no automatism for the consumption of alcohol, because enjoyment is the conscious and "special" moment.
Therefore, society should take a conscious look at certain situations in order to question problematic automatisms of consumption and promote responsible consumption:
- Fomo: fear of missing out, the fear of missing out on something
- The social environment
- Stress management
- Workplace (search at the workplace)
- Alcohol in the workplace/lunch break
The "alcohol and responsibility working group" is a BSI committee that deals with all "non-commercial" tasks. These activities are based on the conviction that the companies in the sector have an active responsibility to ensure that consumers use the products properly and in a manner that is not harmful to health.
The activities of the "alcohol and responsibility working group" include prevention, education and information activities (such as z. B. This website) as well as the effective self-regulation of the member companies of the bundesverband der deutschen spirituosen-industrie und -importeure e. V.
Indirectly, all BSI member companies support the "working group on alcohol and responsibility", whose work is accompanied by a number of neutral scientists and experts. The group is composed of physicians, psychologists and educators who independently review and help shape the content of the activities.