German Court: Hangovers Count as an Illness

A hangover counts as an illness, a German court decided this week—though the ruling probably won't help employees seeking a day off work after overindulging at Oktoberfest. The ruling came in a case against a company accused of making illegal health claims by selling hangover "cures," the Guardian reports. By illness, the court in Frankfurt ruled, "one should understand even small or temporary disruptions to the normal state or normal activity of the body"—which includes the effects of consuming a "harmful substance" like alcohol. The court ruled that the company's marketing violated a ban on claiming that food products had the ability to treat or cure illnesses, reports the AP. (A study released earlier this year found that drinking wine before beer or vice versa doesn't affect the severity of hangovers.)