The average per person consumption of alcohol is down, but officials are concerned that binge drinking is on the rise.

 In 2009, each person in the country drank an average of 37.9 liters of wine and 57.3 liters of beer. Those amounts are slightly down, less than a liter in each case, from the previous year.

But government officials say despite a general downward trend in consumption, alcohol abuse and its social consequences, are some of their biggest public health concerns. They say binge drinking is on the rise, mostly among young people.

The Swiss Alcohol Board says it’s for this reason that the Federal Council is proposing changes to the Alcohol Act, including prohibiting the free distribution of alcohol and requiring licensed premises to provide at least three non-alcoholic beverages at a price lower than the cheapest alcoholic drink.

—Jackie Campo, World Radio Switzerland