Alcohol in Italy

"The government has approved a new package of security measures designed to improve Italy’s road safety record that include crackdowns on drink driving and greatly increased penalty fines.

Under the new laws, discos and pubs are forbidden to sell alcohol after 02.00 and will be required to offer a voluntary alcohol test for people leaving the premises who want to know if they are over the legal limit. Drivers found with blood alcohol levels of 0.5 g per litre and above may face prison sentences of between one and six months, have their licence confiscated and be liable for fines between €500 and €6,000. Drivers found to be under the influence of drugs can face prison sentences of up to three months and be fined between €100 and €4,000.

Drivers caught using a mobile phone without an ear piece or the viva voce function will be fined between €148 and €594 and will have their licence suspended for up to three months if there is a repeat offence within two years.

Fines for driving without a licence will be between €2,257 and €9,032, and it will not be possible for new drivers to handle a vehicle with power above 50-kw before they have had their licence for one year.

The package also includes an anti-pollution law that introduces a fine of between €400 and €600 for people who keep their engines running while stationary so that the air conditioning continues to work.

Italy holds one of the worst road safety records in Europe, with 5,426 people killed in 2005 according to figures from national statistics bureau Istat. The average number of deaths in other European countries is around 3,000 a year. Around 44 per cent of all night-time car accidents in Italy occur on Fridays and Saturdays."

So can you immagine, I cannot get a normal drink after 2.00 am in a disco!?! OMG!