Youth drinking a problem in Italy

Italians are generally drinking less although consumption is up among the country's young people, a report by an Italian think-tank says. Statistics released Friday by the research organization Censis showed alcohol consumption has fallen in the past 20 years but self-control among the young has "weakened," the Italian news agency ANSA reported. The number of young people who said they had consumed alcohol in the previous year was still high, and Censis said teen drinking was still "often" accompanied by the use of drugs, most often marijuana. Alcohol use by teens has been an increasing cause of concern among Italian authorities and cases of binge-drinking have received mounting attention from Italian media, which often carries reports of alcohol and drug-related road accidents on the way back from discos, dubbing them "Saturday Night Massacres," ANSA reported.