International podcast importing ideas: How states reduce their alcohol consumption

Alcohol is a drug that can become addictive and ill – tens of thousands of Germans die every year as a result. Shows how other states are reducing their population’s alcohol consumption idea importthe foreign podcast of daily News.

A beer after work. A wine with dinner. A schnapps for digestion. In Germany, alcohol is considered a stimulant and is an integral part of German culture for many: Wine has been grown here and beer brewed for centuries. Alcoholic drinks can be bought on almost every street corner and even young people are allowed to drink wine and beer. But too much alcohol can be deadly. An estimated 40,000 people die every year as a result of their alcohol consumption, according to the current alcohol atlas of the German Cancer Research Center. Alcohol-related illnesses, accidents or absenteeism cost society billions every year. How can alcohol consumption be reduced? That shows the new episode from idea import– the international podcast of the Tagesschau.

Sales bans in Russia

In Russia, people drink far less than they did a few years ago: since 2005, Russian alcohol consumption has fallen by more than 40 percent. This is also due to a number of government measures: In Russia, there is a ban on the sale of alcohol after 11 p.m., alcohol is not allowed to be drunk in public and the tax rate on alcoholic beverages is also regularly increased – especially on high-proof spirits.

In addition, the drinking culture in Russia has changed, you know ARD correspondent Martha Wilczynski from the Moscow studio. Because vodka is becoming less and less popular with Russians. “People are actually more into trendy drinks like Aperol Spritzt or gin. And at least in big cities, wine has also become very popular,” she says.

Youth protection rules in the USA

Strict rules apply in the USA to discourage adolescents and young adults from drinking: Americans are only allowed to drink alcohol at the age of 21. In the USA, too, drinking is not allowed in public and alcoholic beverages must be packed in paper bags when sold so that young people do not even see the alcohol.

However, these measures do not work that well says Katharina Wilhelm, ARD correspondent from Los Angeles: “A lot of young people lie down fake ID, So you get fake IDs so you can still drink alcohol – for example in restaurants or bars,” she says. According to a recent study, almost 30 percent of all high school students still drink alcohol regularly.

What can Germany learn from Russia and the USA when it comes to avoiding excessive drinking?

Search for ideas in the tagesschau podcast

For many questions that arise again and again in everyday life, there are guaranteed to be good ideas, possible role models and solutions somewhere in the world: How better to deal with sharply rising energy prices? What to do to eat healthier? Why do people in other countries sometimes live longer?

The foreign podcast daily News searches and finds them – together with the correspondents in the 30 foreign studios of the ARD. idea import wants to look beyond the proverbial box and provide fresh ideas for new input in political and social debates.

idea import will be published every second Friday from April 22, 2022. You can listen to the podcast anytime at home or on the go on your smartphone – every second Friday morning you will find a new episode on our website, in which ARD audio library and on numerous other podcast platforms.