The case of the Alabama college student who went to Spain on Spring Break and ended up dead has made the news here - mostly because it is a problem we experience every year. Most incidents rarely even make the international news, it has become so ubiquitous.
The drinking age in the United States is 21. Up to that age it is treated as something taboo and a serious public health issue. The first drink at 21 is seen as a rite of passage. All well and good, but send those 18, 19, and 20 year old students to Europe, where they can legally drinking alcohol, and they get stupid.
There are two major cultural differences. The first is that alcohol is not demonized here. Even as children, a drop of wine (well-watered down) is offered at meals. From a young age we learn that wine is a part of dinner, and an acceptable social lubricant. More importantly, drunkenness is frowned upon. People here don't go out to get drunk. Anyone inebriated is called out on it, and the penalties, both social and civil, are harsh. Very often we will be out and see a group of young Italians enjoying themselves, but harshly reproaching anyone who seems to be overindulging.
It's always the American and British students who are the problem. Binge-drinking seems to be their go-to activity on holiday, Alcohol-attributable deaths of young tourists, frequently involving falls, drowning, traffic accidents, or poisoning are unfortunately common. 19% of deaths in the 15-19 age group, and 23.3% in the 20-24 age group (mostly males) are alcohol related. If you think it's uncommon, think again. ~800,000 deaths annually in the European Region! So common it rarely even makes the local news.
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