An end to binge drinking? Not yet

Anybody who has had the misfortune to wander through a town centre late on a Saturday night will know the story. What used to be a largely good-natured emptying of the pubs has turned into something reminiscent of a scene from the film Trainspotting. The milling and aggressive crowds, the fighting, the vomiting and the general bawdy behaviour are no great advertisement for modern Britain. It is now recognised that cheap booze and liberal licensing laws have given us not a continental-style drinking culture but a source of national embarrassment.

It is also a source of considerable national expense. Hospital admissions directly linked to excess alcohol have more than doubled in the past 10 years. Alcohol-related crimes and accidents have risen sharply.

Now it seems that the government is trying to do something about it. Proposals from the Home Office and the Department of Health aim to curb the excesses by banning bars from offering free drinks to women and limiting so-called “happy hours” in pubs and clubs.

The new code for the drinks industry is far-reaching. In the same way that the authorities have become more aggressive about the health dangers of cigarettes, there will be sensible drinking messages wherever alcohol is consumed. Wine glasses will have to be clearly marked with the measure. “I think you’ve had enough” could become the norm, with bar staff trained to prevent excessive consumption by customers. Drinking games will be outlawed in bars. Sex on the Beach, a cocktail and not a general practice, will be banned, as will promotions that link alcohol with sex.

Many who abhor excess will welcome these proposals. But we should pause for a moment. Is this not the same government that gave us 24-hour drinking, despite warnings that it would reinforce the binge culture? And isn’t it all a bit nanny state? Many might not want to participate in a happy hour, but would defend the right of others to do so. The government has got itself into an almighty mess over drinking. A naive attempt to turn Britain into a cafe culture has failed and ministers are desperately trying to save face. They won’t rescind legislation but will try to limit the damage.

Even so, it is worth a go. The smoking ban may be hated by some but it is gradually reducing the number of smokers. In the same way, restrictions might help to curb excessive drinking. A significant problem will remain, however. Cheap supermarket alcohol allows binge drinkers to stoke themselves up before a night on the town. If the government had the courage of its convictions it would raise the tax on booze. But even that might not be enough to curb our embedded drink problem.

Times Online