text: Tough stance: Health minister Marisol Touraine wants to impose fines and prison sentences for inciting binge drinking . They look down on our food, our weather and even our language. Now France has cocked a snooty nose at our drinking habits, too – and is blaming us for exporting them across the Channel. French health chiefs say the UK is responsible for causing a sharp rise in the number of youngsters who binge-drink. It has slammed the practice of going out to get drunk as an 'Anglo-Saxon phenomenon' and says it is being copied by increasing numbers of youths on the continent. But critics have said it's a case of double standards for a country where children are encouraged to drink wine at the table from a relatively early age. The latest figures reveal that almost half of French 18 to 25 years olds have consumed alcohol with the sole aim of getting drunk – compared to 33 per cent ten years ago. The rise in binging is particularly high among young women, soaring from eight per cent who admitted they had done it in 2005, to three times that number by 2015. Now France's state health watchdog has claimed the sharp increase is due to French youths copying the English. Francis Bourdillon, head of the National Institute of Prevention and Health Education, said: 'This is an Anglo-Saxon phenomenon that's starting to creep into the generation of the 15-24-year-olds. 'Consumption of alcohol in France is particularly worrying among young people and especially among young women. 'Besides the obvious health concerns, binge drinking can also lead to violence against women, sometimes fatal drunken accidents, and unprotected sex.' Bad influence: French officials claim binge drinking is an Anglo-Saxon phenomenon, pictured here on TV programme Booze Britain . Sophisticated: French officials would prefer youngsters to move back to the more traditional pastimes such as a picnic lunch, after new figures revealed more youths are drinking solely to get drunk . The slur on the British comes in the same week that Health Minister Marisol Touraine presents her new health bill to the government, which includes reforms to crack down on France's binge-drinking culture. Ms Touraine said: 'We have to put a stop to drunkenness that does such damage to young people. 'This trend is a risk to their own health, and as a result puts an extra strain on the health service. 'Some may accuse the government of wanting to arrest people for having fun. But it is our job to encourage citizens to moderate their alcohol intake.' Her new law would impose fines of up to £12,000 for inciting someone under 18 to get drunk, and fines of £5,000 or six months in prison for inciting someone of any age to binge-drink. France's language watchdog the Academie Francaise has banned the English expression 'binge-drinking' from all government literature, ordering that the phrase 'beuverie express' be used instead.
target: French health chiefs say  binge-drinking is 'Anglo-Saxon phenomenon'
  Half aged 18-25 in France admitted drinking with aim of 'getting drunk'
  Number of young females admitting binging has tripled in last decade .
  Minister wants to introduce fines or prison for inciting underage drinking .