Italy ? For the first time in Italy’s wine-steeped history, a city government has banned alcohol for those under 16 in an effort to curb drinking problems among youths.

A measure approved in the northern city of Milan on Friday calls for fines of up to $700 for younger teens caught drinking and for those who give or sell them alcohol.

Italy has no minimum drinking age, only a rarely enforced ban on serving alcohol in public to those under 16.

A glass of wine with a good meal is a pillar of the country’s food culture, and it is common to see children sharing a sip with their parents at restaurants.

In Milan, 34 percent of 11-year-olds have had problems with alcohol, the municipality said. Overall, 22.4 percent of boys aged 11-18 and 13 percent of girls in Italy have drinking habits that pose a health risk, according to the National Observatory for Alcohol.