Are you 16? Come and have a beer!
2010
There’s something I really don’t understand: why in the world in Italy a teenager who is only 16 years old can assume alcohol with the consent of the Government, when everybody knows that most deadly car accidents among the youth are caused by an excessive assumption of alcoholic drinks?
This is something that really shocked me when I saw this sign in a grocery store. In the States the legal age to drink alcohol is 21. It’s 21 against 16, you must be 5 years older!
If you are like me, and have left behind the teenage years long time ago, I’m sure you would agree that 5 years, at that age, do make the difference.
Maybe our politicians will wake up one day and will finally change things for the better. Speriamo.
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I'm right there with you Paolo. There is no question about it. But in Italy, wouldn't the statistics prove that it is not a good age? The reason there is an age limit of 21 in the US is because the stats prove that any younger than that has caused many deaths and problems. Doesn't Italy show that too?
There is more mature teenagers in Italy compared to spoiled USA teens!!
In germany it’s the same. Some sorts of alcohol are allowed from 16 on (beer, wine, champagne).
Well, actually, I have to disagree. I live in Germany, where the drinking age is 16, and here it’s no big deal. It’s just a cultural thing. I haven’t seen teenagers out to binge drink nearly as much as in the U.S. To them, it’s just normal to have a beer with a meal. It’s not always about getting drunk, and it’s not some huge moral issue. They’re more grown up and mature, I dare say, than their U.S. counterparts. I think if a society trusts their people to drink at age 16, then it’s better than a society who forbids it until 21 (!?!) so that it becomes something teenagers do in excess because it’s forbidden. The great thing about living overseas is that one can view life from a different point of view and maybe open their mind about a culture that is outside of the U.S. “template.”
> everybody knows that most deadly car accidents among the youth are
> caused by an excessive assumption of alcoholic drinks?
16 y/o don’t drive in Italy…and they have two years to understand how alcohol works before they drive (hopefully they learn to NOT Drink & Drive, although there could be more campaigns by the gov to promote this idea). In the USA it’s the other way round: you drive at 16, and then (when you own a big pickup) at 21 you get drunk and smash the pickup
Cmq il proibizionismo non fa mai bene…basta guardare i teenager inglesi!
I agree with John: gli americani iniziano a guidare a sedici anni, a ventuno prendono la prima sbronza e si ammazzano. Da noi inizi a bere PRIMA dei sedici (dalle mie parti purtroppo sui dodici anni già sei esperto in vini locali) ma a diciotto sei più consapevole dei tuoi limiti.
I agree with John and AC: Italian youth is not known to have big problems with alcohol, plus Italians can drive when they’re 18! So they first learn what alcohol means, then they learn how to drive… accidents from alcohol happen in Italy, as well, of course, but alcoholism is not a major problem for Italians, it’s a cultural matter!
I agree with previous commenters.
The problem is not the age but the culture, in USA, Russia and northern european contries people are less extrovert and social and enjoy “drinking to get drunk” as only fun thing to to, in Italy it’s way different!
Actually in Italy at home teenagers and kids drink at meals with parents, I think it’s a correct attitude to train them to life.
there is no drinking or bar ‘culture’ in italy ..
drunks are not tolerated & as an italian it’s suprising that you would even write an article on this subject for as you must know that italian children drink wine from a very young age with no ill affects .
please….if it ain’t broke don’t fix it !
I’m italian and I want you to do an experiment: give wine to a child! In the south italian culture we use to let child taste alcohol for two reason. The former is that it’s bitter and hurts the tongue like pepper, they won’t ask to taste it again for a long while! For wine and beer usually very little amount teenagers likes it before 20 (In italy, with italian wine)!
The latter reason is to make laugh of their funny faces
Growing with alcohol you learn to drink it because and if you like it and not only to get drunk! The whole alcohol tradition is long to explain (And my english sucks).
There are a lot of itaian saying meaning: “If you forbid a child to do something he will eventually do it and hurt himself!”
Se veramente chi ha scritto questo articolo ha origini italiane gli consiglio di informarsi un po’ meglio sulla cultura dei suoi avi prima di iniziare opere di bighottismo filo-americano!
I Hope… someday people stop criticizing other people cultures without knowing them!
Alessio