Monday, May 24, 2010

Binge drinking in France

From The Guardian:

"Until several months ago, the apero was the bastion of civilised Gallic routine: a delicate early evening staple cherished as much by families in la France profonde as by the chattering classes of Paris.

That was before the noisy arrival of the apero geant -- giant aperitif -- a new phenomenon that is sweeping France, raising fears that the genteel pastime is being hijacked by binge-drinking revellers."

"Uppermost in the concerns of the French authorities is the spread of binge drinking among the younger generation. As more and more of its adolescents report getting drunk regularly, the nation that used to pride itself on its leisurely consumption has been forced to admit it too has a problem."

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hi Inga,

I'm sure you've been following the discussion on the ONDCP listserv about this very topic. Some seem to advocate for following a European model of alcohol use e.g., 18 is the legal drinking age while others say no-way given the brain science and the serious nature of underage drinking issues (as you've reported previously in the BBC report).

This story is yet another example of the evolution and impact of underage drinking in yet another European country. The debate continues but this one seems like a no-brainer to me - scientific evidence and good sense dictate age 21 as the better choice for drinking age.