In Germany, alcohol can only be sold to customers over a certain age. Beverages and food containing spirits (e.g. liqueur or schnapps) may be sold only to customers over eighteen. Other alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine, may be bought only by people at least sixteen years of age.

The rule is: "Drinking and driving don’t mix!" After consuming alcohol you must not drive a vehicle.

It is an offence to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.5 per mil and you render yourself liable to a fine, get points against you in the register of traffic offenders, and you may lose your driving licence.

As little as 1.1 per mil blood alcohol makes you incapable of driving properly! If you drive a vehicle all the same, you will commit a criminal offence which makes you liable to a fine and confiscation of your driving license.

Note that your driving license is already at risk with 0.3 per mil blood alcohol. If you attract attention through peculiar behaviour or cause an accident, you will lose your driving license.

Generally speaking, alcohol lowers inhibitions and encourages aggression. So alcohol can increase the potential for violence.

Some police tips:

• Never drink before driving!
• Keep well under the legal blood alcohol limit. Remember that some trendy beverages (Alcopops) also contain alcohol. These are usually very sweet which disguises the considerable amount of “hard” alcohol they contain (up to two glasses of spirits per bottle).
• Use public transport. Then you can celebrate as much as you like without worrying about getting home.
• Do not take alcohol into the stadium. It is prohibited.
• Remember that drunk fans risk being expelled from the stadium.