A new ordinance in Milan bans alcohol for those under 16 in an effort to curb drinking problems among youth. The ordinance calls for fines of up to €500 for younger teens caught drinking and for those who give or sell them alcohol. Italy has no minimum drinking age – only a rarely enforced ban on serving alcohol in public to those under 16. According to the article, “In Milan, 34 per cent of 11-year-olds have had problems with alcohol…. Overall, 22.4 per cent of boys aged 11-18 and 13 per cent of girls in Italy have drinking habits that pose a health risk, according to the National Observatory for Alcohol.”
Source: Associated Press 20 July 2009 published in New Zealand Herald