FR- Binge drinking comes to France

Long considered a public problem in Britain, binge drinking is now on the rise among young people in France. Until a few years ago, many French people were convinced that their cafe society and laissez-faire approach to alcohol made them immune to binge drinking. But times, and drinking habits, have changed. The government recognises the problem and plans to raise the legal age for buying alcohol from 16 to 18 next year.

In some parts of Paris, municipal authorities have already targeted teenage drunkenness by declaring "dry areas" where drinking on the streets is banned at night. "Our societies resemble each other more and more, and binge drinking, especially at weekends, has developed in recent years in France," says Patrick Bloche, mayor of the 11th Arrondissement, or district, of Paris. Mr Bloche has just initiated an extension of the "dry area" in his district."We have to fight this bad habit, this growing trend for some Parisians, especially teenagers, to gather outdoors, in public, and drink for hours until they're drunk," he explains.

The health ministry says the number of children under 15 admitted to hospital for drunkenness has increased by 50% in the past four years. The number of people under 24 treated in hospital in connection with alcohol rose by the same percentage.