Iceland cuts teen drinking with curfews, youth centers

Aug 01, 20190

Egill Bjarnason – Associated Press count

This photo taken Monday, May 13, 2019, teenagers up to the age of 17 gathered at the Tjornin youth center in Reykjavik. Iceland has dried up a teenage culture of drinking and smoking by focusing on local participation in music and sports options for students, with such success that Icelandic teens now have one of the lowest rates of substance abuse in Europe.

REYKJAVIK, Iceland - The clock strikes 10 p.m. on a Friday night when the "Parent Patrol" enters a popular playground in suburban Reykjavik. The teens turn down the music and reach for their phones to check the time: It's ticking into curfew.

Every weekend, parents all over the Icelandic capital embark on a two-hour evening walk around their neighborhood, checking on youth hangouts.

http://www.startribune.com/iceland-cuts-teen-drinking-with-curfews-youth-centers/513434992/