Kulmbach district: New Year's Eve with alcohol and vandalism in focus!

Kulmbach district: New Year's Eve with alcohol and vandalism in focus!

The New Year's Eve fireworks are over, and the Kulmbach district has mostly had a quiet first night of the new year. But as is so often the case, both shine and shadow appear during this festive season. The police reported a few incidents, but fortunately they were not overly serious. On New Year's Eve itself, only two significant incidents were recorded that were worth reporting Franconian day holds on.

It must have been particularly uncomfortable for a 31-year-old driver from the Kulmbach district. It was checked on New Year's morning around 5 a.m. on Thurnauer Strasse in Wonsees. The strong smell of alcohol revealed that she was driving with a blood alcohol level of just over one per mille. The police stopped the journey and had a blood sample taken at the hospital. A charge of drunk driving is expected.

Damaged vehicles in Kulmbach

But an unpleasant spectacle was registered not only on the streets, but also in the parking lots. On Pörbitscher Platz, unknown people broke the side window of a parked blue Nissan after the owner had parked her vehicle there at around 1 a.m. She noticed the damage around 11 a.m. on January 1st and notified the police. The damage caused is around 500 euros, while in the event of further damage to property, which affected several cars on Im Haag Street, the total damage is in the mid four-digit range. There was also no evidence of a firework cause here.

In both cases, the Kulmbach police ask witnesses to call 09221/609-0 to receive further information.

Alcohol and its risks

The incidents on New Year's Eve are not just isolated cases, but reflect a larger social problem. The consumption of alcohol has a long tradition in Germany, but it also entails considerable risks. In 2024, according to the Federal Ministry of Health Around 8.6 million people between the ages of 18 and 64 consume risky amounts of alcohol. In addition, every third person between the ages of 18 and 64 has been affected by binge drinking at least once.

Particularly alarming: Around 2.2 million people meet the medical criteria for addiction, while 1.7 million are considered at risk for alcohol abuse. The economic costs of alcohol consumption amount to around 57 billion euros annually, although the unreported number of at-risk consumption could represent a major warning signal.

In summary, despite the festive mood and the celebratory approach to alcohol, a critical examination of the topic is urgently needed. It remains to be hoped that both the upcoming beer week in Kulmbach and the upcoming festivities will be characterized by more responsible behavior in order to promote cooperation and avoid negative incidents.