Demise of the European Myth III
According to Reuters (via JoinTogether), Italy is also experiencing an alarmingly sharp rise in youth binge drinking rates. From the Reuters report:
A 2007 study from research firm ESPAD showed 38 percent of Italian students between 15 and 16 had reported binge drinking in the last month – a rise of almost 23 percent from 1995.
The jump put Italy ahead of Sweden and Finland, which reported declines, but still well behind Britain’s 54 percent.
Highlighting the shift towards the north European model, 2008 figures from national statistics office ISTAT show consumers of wine and beer are declining, while those choosing other drinks like spirits are on the rise.
The number of Italians overall who drink between meals has remained stable over the last 10 years at one in four, ISTAT numbers show. But among 14-17-year olds, at 20 percent, it has jumped nearly half in the last decade.
Dr. Emanuele Scafato, head of CNESPS’ alcohol observatory, a Rome-based centre collaborating with the World Health Organisation, said unlike such countries as France and Germany, Italy’s measures against drink-driving and the sale of drinks to teenagers were light.
He blamed heavy advertising and alcopops for the new excesses, saying about 169 million euros are spent every year in Italy on alcohol advertising.
This is still more evidence that simplistic calls for “culturally integrated” drinking (e.g. the Amethyst Initiative) are based on a defeated paradigm (the sociocultural model) and fail to take into account the enormous influence of alcohol industry marketing practices.
