The government has introduced new rules for bars and nightclubs across Italy in an effort to stem drink-driving and alcohol-induced road accidents among clients especially at weekends.

Under a decree passed on 30 July and which came into force on 23 September, all entertainment venues serving alcohol are obliged to display a poster-sized table at the entrance/exit indicating the alcohol content of the various types of drink sold (beer, wine, sparkling wine/champagne, spirits, alcopops, etc) together with the corresponding blood alcohol content (BAC) for men and women of various body weights and who are drinking on a full or empty stomach. For example, according to the table a glass of wine drunk by a woman weighing 60 kg and who has had a full meal translates into a BAC of around 0.22 grams per litre. In Italy the legal limit for driving is 0.5 grams per litre. Staff are expected to help customers to interpret the tables and non-compliance could result in the closure of the establishment for up to 30 days.

The new measures have met with mixed reactions. Renato Giacchetto, president of the Italian nightclub managers