Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

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Monday, December 15, 2008

Tackle the alcohol problem at its source

Robin Room
December 15, 2008

THE Spaniards call it el botellón — "the big bottle" — the local teenagers' custom of congregating for noisy outdoor drinking parties in town squares. The custom and the term have spread to Switzerland where, perhaps unsurprisingly, a big concern is the litter left behind by drinkers in famously tidy streets.

There, as in other countries, it is in many ways a generational conflict that troubles municipal authorities and police.

Australia is not alone in its problem with intoxication among teenagers and young adults. But the problems caused by heavy drinking can vary from place to place. Australians, for example, are worried about the violence that accompanies intoxication. Britain also has these worries and indeed has suffered a rise in drunken violence.
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