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Will Milan teenage drinking ban work?

Milan has banned the consumption and sale of alcohol to young teenagers in an effort to curb binge-drinking. Is this a good idea?

Parents of children under the age of 16 caught drinking wine or spirits will be liable to fines of up to 500 Euros ($700;£450), following claims that a third of 11-year-olds in the city have alcohol related problems.

A national law banning the sale of alcohol to under-16s is rarely enforced and in a country where wine is part of local culture - and prohibition would be unthinkable - the ban has come as a shock.

Will the ban work? Has your government been successful in limiting binge-drinking? How should governments tackle alcohol related problems among young people?

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Published: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 08:25 GMT 09:25 UK

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Added: Monday, 20 July, 2009, 24:31 GMT 01:31 UK

Laws like this seem to waste time, they look great on paper but in reality they do nothing but create distractions for police officers. To me it seems the point of doing this was to shut up some concerned parents. It is not right to take a serious issue such as heavy drinking in children and expect a stupid law like this to do anything. As you may know underage drinking laws are very strict in the US and I can say I've never had a problem acquiring alcohol. you will isolate kids with problems

Alex Roderer, Plano Texas

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Added: Monday, 20 July, 2009, 24:21 GMT 01:21 UK

Best way to spread binge drinking? Prohibition.

Jacques Bouvier, United States

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Added: Monday, 20 July, 2009, 24:17 GMT 01:17 UK

This is RIDICULOUS! Why mess with a country it's culture that has been in effect for 1000's of years. Don't become crazy America!

M H, CA

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Added: Monday, 20 July, 2009, 24:13 GMT 01:13 UK

Yes, I think it will work. Its a good idea that needs to be followed all over the world. Drinking is injurious to health. If people can't control their bad habits, then its mandatory for the state to get involved and control your life for the sake of social harmony and betterment.

Jeremy Gievenzer, Vancouver,Canada

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Added: Monday, 20 July, 2009, 24:13 GMT 01:13 UK

The only thing the ban will be effective in doing will be to make criminals out of children and add financial burdens to their parents.

Mike, An Island off NYC

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Added: Monday, 20 July, 2009, 24:10 GMT 01:10 UK

Teenage drinking is a wide spread problem.Parents should set example of behavier have control over their Children and able to guide them in the right direction Kids need Guidance and Discipline.

sandrina cordes

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Added: Monday, 20 July, 2009, 24:00 GMT 01:00 UK

Teenager who drink usually turn into Adult drunks..who drive kill People,break up their Relations,ruin Families..etc..etc..but we all know that ..dont we?

sandrina cordes

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Added: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 23:57 GMT 00:57 UK

Please stop those naive comments referring to Milanese youth as responsible and capable of self-control. Anyone familiar with night life in Milano and its surroundings knows it's not so. As examples, simply do a little research on local football firms or the "Bestie di Satana" (Beasts of Satan) murders a few years ago. And don't think that the "case popolari" over there are much safer than their Brit equivalent, the council estate.

Pablo, Port St.Lucie, Florida

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Added: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 23:40 GMT 00:40 UK

Probably the inspirer of this idea was some Cosa Nostra Don who has difficulties obtaining cocaine shipments.

Pablo, Port St.Lucie, Florida

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Added: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 23:33 GMT 00:33 UK

Teens in the U.S. drive more than in other countries. Things are spread out in most areas of the U.S. and mass transportation more often than not is unavailable. Going downtown or to a friend's is often too far to walk (if they want to arrive that night, that is). That's the main reason the U.S. keeps the drinking age limit high. Every 15 minutes someone is killed or injured in the U.S. by a drunk driver.

Deborah, N.Y.C.

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Added: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 23:22 GMT 00:22 UK

i am not convinced that milan drinking ban will work

Catherine Oliver, Crawley, United Kingdom

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Added: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 23:16 GMT 00:16 UK

well banning alcohol never worked look at the probation era it fueled drunkenness and people drank to get drunk but not to enjoy. the only way to curb teenage drinking is to actually allow from earlier ages so that they know how to control their drinking as compare drinking culture in Europe and US most teens in the US drink to get drunk, while its different in most of europe

george, cairo

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Added: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 23:16 GMT 00:16 UK

Kit from the US: US teens are all drug addicts instead because alcohol is inaccessible to them ...They are sick and tired of being controlled by their parents and religous dogma. If you allowed them to think for themselves and gave them the freedom to make their own mistakes they wouldn't need to escape with drugs and booze.
kathy, toronto

"U.S. teens are all drug addicts" <-- Frame that. (Didn't read the rest because you obviously don't know what you're talking about.)

Dahlia, USA

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Added: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 23:08 GMT 00:08 UK

I'm reading:

- Structure for youngsters causes more problems than it solves.
- Any kind of prohibition fails.
- If parents stop their children, it will be abuse.

I suppose we might as well just let 11-year-olds go out and murder people, too, and not even try to stop them. Obviously there's nothing adults can do about the behavior of pre-teens and teens.

Diana, Cal.

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Added: Sunday, 19 July, 2009, 23:08 GMT 00:08 UK

I really doubt this will work. If the law against selling alcohol to underage teenagers isn't enforced, then what makes the authorities to think that holding parents liable will give better results? I think it 's much easier to spot business that sell alcohol to teenagers than start tracking parents (who rarely have any sort of control over children).

Andrei Dascalu, Cluj, Romania

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DEBATE STATUS

Total comments:
219
Published comments:
201
Rejected comments:
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