The aperitif: An investigation into young people's relationship with alcohol: Convention between the University of Siena Applied Dietary Sciences Unit and the Municipality of Siena

The consumption and abuse of alcohol among young people is a matter of both national and international concern. According to ISTAT ( http://www.istat.it/ salastampa/comunicati/non-calendario/20080417-00/testointegrale20080417.pdf, 2007), the model of alcohol consumption in Italy is traditionally moderate, but in the last few years habits that pose health risks, such as drinking between meals at a young age and binge drinking, have been increasing constantly. The aim of this study was to investigate the ways in which alcohol is consumed by young people in Siena, focusing in particular on their habit of meeting for an aperitif. The sample comprised 467 students (mean age 17 ± 1.3 years). The results obtained show that the situation in Siena is similar to that in the rest of Italy, being characterised by frequent alcohol abuse, concentrated above all in the weekend. We found that meeting for an aperitif is seen as an opportunity to catch up with friends, relax and have fun. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.