Milan will become the first Italian city to bar drinking for youths aged under 16 when a ban takes effect on Monday, and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he favored extending the ruling nationwide.
Faced with a growing youth drinking problem, the city council in Italy's fashion and business capital voted on Friday to crack down on underage alcohol consumption.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera newspaper on Sunday, Berlusconi said Milan was a model for the rest of Italy.
"I'm worried about the reckless way in which young people are using alcohol", he said.
"So other ordinances from mayors throughout Italy would be welcome, they would have my full support."
Milan has set a fine of 500 euros ($705) for the possession and consumption of alcohol for those under 16 as well as for those selling to under age buyers. The under age drinker's parents will be notified of the penalty.
"Children are good at getting around obstacles, we've stepped in with a fully-rounded ordinance," Mayor Letizia Moratti said in a statement.
Thirty-four percent of Milan's 11-year-olds have already had problems with alcohol, and 750,000 minors drink in Italy, the statement said.
本周一,米蘭的禁酒令正式生效,這使該市成為意大利首個禁止16歲以下青少年飲酒的城市。意大利總理西爾維奧?貝盧斯科尼稱他支持將禁酒令在全國推廣。
作為意大利的時尚和商業(yè)中心,米蘭的青少年飲酒問題日益嚴重,該市議會于上周五投票通過了一項禁令,以阻止未成年人飲酒。
在上周日接受《晚郵報》采訪時,貝盧斯科尼稱,米蘭為意大利其它城市樹立了榜樣。
他說:"我對年輕人無節(jié)制的飲酒很擔心。"
"所以非常歡迎意大利其它城市效法,我將全力支持它們。"
米蘭市規(guī)定,持有或飲酒的16歲以下少年將被罰款500歐元(合705美元),向未成年人售酒也將面臨同樣的懲罰。處罰結果將告知未成年飲酒者的父母。
市長Letizia Moratti在一份聲明中稱:"孩子們很擅長鉆政策的漏洞,所以我們頒布了一項全面禁令。"
該聲明表示,11歲以下的米蘭少年中,有34%存在飲酒問題,意大利有75萬未成年人飲酒。