Ban affects areas most frequented by young people at night

Rome has introduced a ban on the consumption of alcohol in public every night from 22.00, following appeals from residents tired of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.

The order, which remains in effect until 31 October, bans the consumption of alcohol on many of the capital's streets and squares from midnight to 07.00. However dinking from glass bottles is banned from 22.00 until 07.00, and off-licences, supermarkets and vending machines will not be allowed to sell alcohol to take-away during that time. In addition, pubs are now forbidden from serving alcohol to customers indoors from 02.00.

The city says the ban will be enforced by its police and the penalties facing those caught breaking the rules are €280 for vendors and €150 for consumers.

There are 19 areas affected in total: Castro Pretorio, Tiber Island, the banks of the Tiber, Campo de’ Fiori, Piazza Navona, Monti, Celio, Trastevere, Testaccio, Prati, S. Lorenzo, Tiburtina station, Piazza Bologna, Pigneto, Marranella, Torpignattara, Ostiense, Ostia and Ponte Milvio.

The sale of alcohol at night was banned regularly under former Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno but this is the first ban introduced by his successor Ignazio Marino. The move comes after increasingly bad press – a lot of it in the international arena – about the level of alcohol abuse in Rome, particularly among young foreigners resident in the capital.

The recent death of an American student following a night out in Campo de' Fiori reignited the debate, as well as growing incidents of the violent “knock-out” game in Trastevere.