Alcohol consumption in Germany brings in around 3 billion euros a year for the state. At the same time, it generates costs of almost 39 billion euros. Every year, around 74,000 people die from the consequences of their drinking behavior. And still, in some regions, alcohol is a source of identity, non-drinking is frowned upon, and for most people it has a positive connotation. Whether for a toast, after work, or with a meal: Alcohol is an integral part of everyday life in all social classes. What differs, however, are the effects and stigmatizations: While consumption is considered largely normal among the upper classes, these are felt much more strongly among marginalized groups. For many people, it makes a difference who reaches for the bottle.
My photo essay is a search for the boundaries between addiction, fun and everyday life that open up when consuming alcohol. My work shows a society in which drinking is part of good manners and not drinking is not the norm, in which alcohol is constantly available and keeping the right balance is a challenge. Attracted by this ambivalence, the parallelism of different realities of life and their clichés is documented.