It’s self-control that matters. Can Italian drinking culture teach US?

“We should take a hint from Italy,” the text overlay reads. Mad for Italy, the Italian platform written in English, went online with a case study on the Italian drinking culture. The video teaches Americans the Italian way of drinking wine.

IT’S ALSO A MATTER OF CULTURE

While all the American states prohibit people under the age of 21 from buying or publically possessing any alcoholic beverage, it is against the Italian law to sell alcohol to someone under 18.

It’s not only a matter of a legal drinking age; it’s also a matter of culture. “American culture glorifies binge drinking. It’s celebrated in movies and TV,” says the clip. There’s a shocking difference between drinking in Italy and drinking in America.

DON’T DRINK TOO MUCH

Italians are used to drinking wine. It’s always on the table at an Italian meal. “Drinking with meals is deeply ingrained in the culture. People learn to drink in moderation at an early age”.

The situation is not always the same in the US. “Half of all college students black out from drinking. About 90 percent of alcohol consumed by Americans under 21 is from binging,” Mad for Italy comments. Moreover, six people die from alcohol poisoning every day.

DRINK A LITTLE BIT, KEEP IT CLASSY

Italian people drink wine, but “consuming alcohol revolves around food,” the Guardian underlined in 2016. “You are either drinking to accompany your meal, or you are being given free snacks to soak up your drink when at an Italian bar”.

The question is, how much wine do you drink? According to the Huffington Post’s Lisa Miller, “Italians love their vino. But they don’t overdo it. They like to drink, but they know how to keep it classy.” It’s always self-control that matters most.

@filippo_poletti

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