BERLIN, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Adolescent alcohol abuse in Germany reached a record low in 2022, as the number of people aged between 12 and 18 hospitalized with alcohol poisoning dropped to 10,680, according to a study published on Tuesday.
According to the study by the German health insurance company KKH, the figure is 5 percent below the previous year and even 40.5 percent lower than in 2019, the year before COVID-19 pandemic.
The study further indicates that the percentage of minors aged 12 and above who have been treated for alcohol poisoning has dropped from 22 percent before the pandemic to 18 percent in 2022.
"It is very pleasing that fewer and fewer young people seem to be exceeding their alcohol limit in this way," said Franziska Klemm, a psychologist of the company, warning that excessive alcohol consumption is hazardous for adolescents.
Despite the constant decrease in alcohol consumption in Germany, people in the country "still drink significantly more alcohol than the global average," said Norbert Scherbaum, chairman of the board of the German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS).
DHS data show that almost one in 10 people consume alcohol in a way that poses a health risk.
