A leading German drug and addiction expert on Wednesday said the legal age for consuming alcohol in the country should be raised to 18 years old. “The consumption of alcohol should only be allowed from the age of 18,” said Burkhard Blienert, the government’s commissioner for narcotics and addiction, in an interview with the Dusseldorf-based Rheinische Post newspaper. Germany has relatively loose age restrictions on the consumption and purchase of alcohol. Beer and wine are available to buy from the age of 16, while young people are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages in public if they are a…