French youth are not demurely sipping wine in Paris cafes: rather, experts say, they are drinking more like their U.S. counterparts and bingeing with the intention of getting drunk.

Reuters reported July 13 that the French government has launched a crackdown on underage binge drinking, including banning open bars, drinking near schools, and the sale of alcohol to youth under age 18. Under current French law, it is technically legal to sell alcohol to youths as young as age 16.

Studies show that while French youth drinking has declined overall, the rate of drunkenness has increased. Also, the number of French youths under age 25 hospitalized for excessive drunkenness doubled between 2004 and 2007. "Almost half of youths said they had had five glasses of alcohol on a single night on at least one occasion in the previous 30 days, which is the definition of binge drinking," said French health minister Roselyne Bachelot.