Abstract
The consumption of alcoholic beverages has been steadily decreasing in France for several years, but an alarming new form of alcohol abuse has occurred among young people. The 'binge drinking' consists of heavy consumption of alcohol with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated in a short period of time. It concerns mainly teens who are between 12 and 16 years old. This pattern of consumption is increasing rapidly among young people, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland where it is considered as a major public health problem. The teens clearly seek the drunkenness and don't even try to hide it, they get drunk now in the street. In France, 16% of the 13-year-old and 41% of the 15-year-old people have already been drunk, and 26% of the 17-year-old people claimed they have been drunk at least three times in the last twelve months. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is becoming a major society issue.
