By Suzanne Bush Terminillo, Italy

A top police officer in Italy has called for skiing or snowboarding while drunk to be treated as seriously as drink-driving.

Police are worried about the trend of downing a grappa before skiing

Commander Alvaro de Palma, who heads the police's alpine training centre at Moena in the north of Italy, is worried about the growing trend of downing a shot of the strong spirit grappa after every run.

"One shot of grappa or whiskey after lunch is one thing, but when you have lots of grappa you lose control," he says.

"It's just as dangerous as being on the road when drunk."

He believes there should be safety campaigns aimed at making the activity as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.

Alberto Kostner runs a ski school nearby. He believes Alvaro de Palma is exaggerating the problem.

"There are thousands who go skiing every day and I never see anyone drunk.

"It is an extremely marginal phenomenon."

In the north of Italy... whenever they stop, they go for a grappa Italian skier Paolo Adami

Under clear blue skies, in the small ski resort of Terminillo to the north of Rome, skiers and boarders are taking advantage of the recent snow with no sign of trouble anywhere.

The police and carabinieri, Italy's military police, are out and about keeping an eye on things.

Fresh from the slopes, 43-year-old businessman Paolo Adami says drinking is only a problem in certain parts of Italy.

"There are mad people everywhere, but in the north of Italy where they drink more, whenever they stop they go for a grappa. Not here though."

Speed

For 20 years Oreste Granati, 41, has been a ski instructor in Terminillo.

He agrees it is a problem generally confined to the north, and believes snowboarders are the problem, but says it is definitely more dangerous now because people seem less disciplined.

"They maintain a high speed, then can't control their skis, especially on the beginners' slopes - and here they don't respect the signs."

Skiers and snowboarders are criticised for going off-piste

Commander de Palma says another problem is people going off-piste where it is forbidden for safety reasons.

"This off-piste trend is even more popular this year," he says.

"We have had more than 20 deaths since the beginning of December."

It was the death of a snow-boarder last month that prompted him to speak out.

The 27-year-old died after ignoring the signs and going off a 70 metre drop.

A skier also died when his group went off-piste, causing an avalanche that buried him.

In Italy they have just introduced a law forcing skiers and boarders to carry tracking equipment if going off-piste.

People try to do more than they are capable of doing Snowboarder Enrico Rinaltuzzi

The law also obliges under-14s to wear a helmet and there are plans for snowboarders to be banned from certain slopes.

One group of boarders in Terminillo says it is not drinking or snowboarders that are dangerous, it is inexperience.

"There are many beginners, so mostly the accidents happen because of lack of experience," 27-year-old optician Enrico Rinaltuzzi explains.

"People try to do more than they are capable of doing."

However, Commander de Palma points to the statistics as proof of the growing lack of discipline.

In the whole of the last season 280 people were fined for reckless behaviour in the whole of Italy.

So far this season, 311 have been fined in his region alone - and 600 throughout the country.