Parents who hope to guide their children to a healthier lifestyle may be soon pay the ultimate price in one European country. If Italian lawmakers have their way, parents who insist their children live on a vegan diet could earn serious hard time as a result.
Italian parliament member Elvira Savino has put forward a piece of legislation that could send these parents to jail for four years. Savino says she’s not opposed to veganism, but her rationale is these parents are not allowing their children to make their own decisions and are depriving them of their daily nutrition:
“I have nothing against vegans or veganism as long as it is a free choice by adults. I just find it absurd that some parents are allowed to impose their will on children in an almost fanatical, religious way, often without proper scientific knowledge or medical consultation. Do-it-yourself on these matters terrorizes me.”
If the law is passed, a parent would be sentenced to jail for four years if their children develop a health problem or seven years if the children die because of the diet. Savino believes this is a national emergency and that Italians shouldn’t be taking it lightly. Vegans tend to be the butt of everyone’s joke, but it has become pretty chic to live a healthier lifestyle. And the diet has even been shown to extend one’s lifespan, so that’s another thing vegans can hold over people’s heads.
(Via Reuters)
