I see a lot of binge drinking going on in Europe too -- no less than what I used to observe across the US. And most often when it comes to binge drinking in Europe it's mostly Europeans doing the binge drinking; much like how it's mostly Americans doing the binge-drinking in the US when it comes to binge drinking in the US.
Originally Posted by
ChangingNappies
But in most (some?) US states/counties/cities teens can still drink at home and/or under parental supervision, right? Wouldn't that be the same?
At least back around the time FT was started, there were still numerous US states where minor children could drink alcohol under parental supervision even when not at home. [I'm referring to more than just religious ceremony-based drinking.]
I know even a few years back that young kids drinking alcohol in taverns in WI was certainly allowed. The following may be of interest:
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/...-stands-alone/
Parentally-supervised introduction of alcohol intake by minors may or may not be a reliable way to try to foster healthy approaches to consumption of potentially intoxicating substances, but I'm not sure it's a big driver in bad drinking habits either.