西班牙：未成年人醉酒 父母或被罰款

爲打擊未成年人飲酒行爲，西班牙政府考慮對因飲酒屢次入院治療的青少年家長罰款。政府代表表示，以不作爲來容忍或協助青少年過度飲酒其實是在虐待兒童，因爲酒精會影響他們的一些能力，“我們必須時刻記得，酒精會殺死腦細胞”。西班牙衛生部正在考慮將對父母罰款這一項提議加入《防止未成年人飲酒法案》。據西班牙衛生部統計，過去十年間，因飲酒而入院接受治療的西班牙未成年人數量增加了一倍，同時還呈現低齡化趨勢。不過，對於此項提議，醫療界有不同意見。西班牙緊急醫療協會主席表示，對父母罰款不見得會減少青少年飲酒現象，這樣的政策實施後很多青少年飲酒過多需要治療時可能就不會去醫院了。

Spain's government is considering a proposal to fine the parents of teenagers who are repeatedly found intoxicated in the latest measure to clampdown on underage drinking.

Parents of such drinkers who are treated more than once in hospital emergency wards could face financial penalties.

"Tolerating or assisting by inaction the repeated excessive consumption of alcohol is a form of child abuse because it affects their future abilities," said Francisco Babin, the government delegate for the National Drugs Plan (PND), unveiling the proposal.

"We must not forget that alcohol kills brain cells," he added.

Spain's ministry of health is considering the inclusion of such penalties in its draft Prevention of the Consumption of Alcoholic Drinks by Minors bill, announced in April.

The number of underage drinkers treated in hospital casualty departments across Spain has more than doubled in ten years, according to a recent report being studied by the Health Ministry.

"The age of those patients is also decreasing, indicating that recreational drinking of alcohol is starting at a younger age," wrote Dr Santiago Mintegi, the author of the report.

"Before, it was rare to find a case of alcohol poisoning among minors, but not now. Such cases arrive fairly frequently on a Friday and Saturday night."

However, there was immediate skepticism of the new proposal in medical circles. "I don't see how fining the parents will reduce teenage drinking," said Juan Gonzalez Armengol, president of Spain Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES).

"It is more likely to mean that those suffering ill effects from alcohol are less likely to go to a hospital for fear of the consequences."

Half of Spain's 17 regions have already banned the "botellon" - a phenomenon that sees large groups of young people gather in parks or plazas to share cheap shop-bought alcoholic drinks and socialize through night.