More Germans Hospitalized After Alcohol Abuse

Excessive drinking has become the second most common reason for hospitalizations among German men after heart-related illnesses, health insurance company GEK announced on Tuesday. The number of men admitted for treatment has almost doubled in the last decade. While alcoholism is the main reason for hospitalizations of men aged 35 to 59, younger Germans end up in emergency rooms after binge-drinking: About 10,000 teenagers between 15 and 19 are brought to hospitals because they have been drinking too much each year. GEK officials blamed the rising popularity of so-called Alcopops, which contain lemonade and schnapps. The German government plans to increase the tax on these drinks by July 1, hoping that this will lead to a drop in sales.