Young teenagers caught drinking alcohol risk being fined under new legislation to curb drinking, the Volksrant reports on Thursday.

Under-16s caught with alcohol in bars or at events will face a cash penalty if the new legislation becomes law. Bars and shops caught selling alcohol to the under-16s already face fines.
Now 16 and 17-year-olds can buy beer and wine, but consumption of spirits is confined to the over 18s. Dutch teenagers are among the heaviest drinkers in Europe.
Young drunks
The new government has abandoned the previous administration’s plans to allow local authorities to increase the age at which teenagers can buy alcohol from 16 to 18 if they have a problem with juvenile drunks.
Research published last year shows teenagers who drink so much alcohol that they end up in hospital are most likely to get drunk at a friend’s house.
That research is based on the experiences of 703 youngsters treated in hospital for alcohol poisoning between 2007 and mid 2009.