Jeder kann sein Bier zum Fußball trinken. Damit habe ich kein Problem. Aber ich habe ein großes Problem mit der Fußball-Berichterstattung, die ich seit dem Anfang der EM intensiv verfolge. Seit Tag eins habe ich da ein extremes Störgefühl. Immer wenn irgendwo hingeschaltet wird, geht es darum: Wie viel Bier haben die Fans da getrunken? Wie viel trinken sie noch? Und dann wird zurück ins Studio geschaltet, und alle lachen über die Betrunkenen – ohne irgendeine kritische Einordnung. Am Dienstagabend hat Katrin Müller-Hohenstein im ZDF die Reporterin im Stadion gefragt, ob die Schotten den Engländern noch ein paar Bier übrig gelassen hätten. Die Reporterin hat geantwortet: „Ich habe so langsam das Gefühl, das ist das Hauptthema, wenn ich bei euch da auf der Wand liege, dass ich über Bier rede.“ Und da habe ich gemerkt: Das spüre nicht nur ich als Süchtiger, sondern da ist wirklich etwas komisch. Wir sind mit unserem Podcast auch Teil des öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunks, deswegen will ich das nicht so stehen lassen.
What do you think are the negative consequences of this type of alcohol consumption?
First, it simply ignores that we are talking about a hard drug that can be addictive and that you can die from it. Nine million people in Germany have problems with alcohol consumption, and 2.6 million people worldwide die from it every year. I thought that in 2024 we would get ahead and not continue to trivialize the matter like this. The public broadcasters in particular have made so many mistakes in recent weeks that the presenters have no feeling for them. Second, and this really pisses me off: the EC is a family event, with children and young people watching. And they have been socialized so that beer is part of it and normal. I would like young people to grow up in a world where it is not considered normal to buy six beers before meeting friends. Whoever watches this EC on TV as a child is taught exactly that. And third, for me as an addict, it really is an absolute farce. I spent several months in inpatient addiction treatment with people who had lost everything to alcohol and were fighting for their lives. And then you come out and see how consumption is glorified and promoted as if it were water.
Videos of football fans who are so drunk that they sit motionless on the curb with a beer mug on their head are going viral. Or from fans who can't walk anymore.
Yes, and these clips have people laughing and clapping in the studio. It is coded to be part of English and Scottish culture. But unfortunately it is also part of our culture. Regardless of addiction issues, this binge drinking is incredibly unhealthy and dangerous. It destroys brain cells, it is a deadly neurotoxin that is somehow part of our culture. To trivialize this in the context of a sports competition is simply grotesque. The point is how funny it all is. And that's what public television does when millions of children and young people watch it. It can't be. What I am almost ashamed of is the ARD pub quiz that comes after the games. Actors and comedians sit in the bar and drink a lot. There should actually be a disclaimer up front: this show uses alcohol, be warned: alcohol can be addictive.
Instead, viewers will see an ad for a beer brand that is “Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2024”.
Yes, sporting events can be sponsored by a nerve agent vendor. This is very dangerous for all addicts who just enjoy watching football. It's true: not everyone gets addicted. But no one knows in advance whether he will be susceptible to it or not. Some people only notice it in the clinic when they have lost everything. You have to imagine that someone changes somewhere and asks: have you had a coke today and how much more coke will you take? It's basically the same question. I really want the moderators to change this.
Can you watch football outside or is the alcohol too much?
My substance of choice was not alcohol, but cocaine. So I don't immediately feel addicted when many people around me drink alcohol. But I have to be very careful where I go, with whom and how I consume. I need an exit plan that I will activate as soon as I am addicted. I have already left the beer garden because of this. But that's my problem. And I can still really enjoy football.