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A German Court Ruled That Hangovers Are Officially a ‘Disease’

Germany News Food + Drink
by Eben Diskin Sep 25, 2019

The German courts are coming in clutch just in time for Oktoberfest. According to a ruling by the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt, hangovers are now legally classified as a disease. The court determined that any minor disturbance in the body’s normal functioning is considered an illness, and that certainly applies to hangovers.

“They do not occur as a result of the natural ‘up and downs’ of the body,” the court said, “but as a result of the consumption of alcohol, a harmful substance.”

The ruling was made against an unnamed company selling merchandise claiming to be able to cure hangovers.

The court’s decision means that a company cannot claim its products are capable of curing hangovers. It does, however, give partygoers and Oktoberfest travelers an excuse for skipping work, school, and shirking their other responsibilities. After all, they’ll be recovering from a “disease.”

Whatever magic products you may have found or tips you may have been given, you won’t be able to just pop a pill and feel good as new. The only way to prevent a hangover is by not drinking.

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