Binge drinking

[Nautilus]

A new report records an increase in violence by women.It has been suggested that a principal cause is binge drinking. An MP has proposed that taxes on high alcohol drinks and cheap supermarket beer should be increased! Higher taxes aren't going to reduce excessive boozing...the answer surely is to reduce pub hours and cut availability.......why penalise moderate drinkers with higher prices ?

[craft1948]

I agrfee Nautilus..............look at the price of cigarettes nowadays yet it hasn't stopped me smoking.....

[TTG]

Increase the legal drinking age to 25.

[Gromit]

Nautilus

The MP obviously believes that they buy their drink in supermarkets and not pubs. Are you happy for supermarket sopening hours to be cut? And can you see it happening?

[puma86]

I agree with TTG more.
I think reducing pub hours will make no difference at all. I was a heavy binge drinker on weekends. I would invite the girls round at about 5/6pm to get ready for the evening and we would chat, drink and have a sing a long to some music. During this time we would consume a very large amount before we left home at around 8/9pm.
I know that many of my friends, males and females would also do this. So I think if we had been told that the places we went to were closing earlier we would have probably had more at home.
I think this is causing the problem.

[cazzz1975]

how about if they stop selling alcohol in supermarkets? restrict it to off licenses and pubs like they used to do.

[cazzz1975]

cut out the shots and alcopops

[jake-the-peg]

TTG & Puma

How many underage drinkers do you see?

If the current laws don't stop them what earthly chance does raising the age limit have?

A case of if stomething doesn't work try the same thing harder!

But that's pie in the sky anyway - 18-25 year olds vote!

[puma86]

Yes, sorry Jake hadn't thought of that.

[anotheoldgit]

Ban Women from drinking.

[jake-the-peg]

I've just finished reading a book about England in the 13th Century.

there's a reference there to an Ambassador from Somewhere in Europe reporting on England.

He says that the country is lush and fertile and the skill im metal working is extremely fine - But why do the English have to be drunk and violent all the time?

We've been a nation of problem drinkers for hundreds of years - it's deeply ingrained cultural behaviour - going out to get plastered - Llyod George had a pop at drinking laws giving us the opening hours and even banning "treating" (buying rounds)

Even two world wars haven't been enough to break the cycle - So I really don't think fiddling with the tax or upping the age limits would do anything. I doubt even shutting down pubs and bars would.

I think the best we can do is to look for ways to help people realise when they've got a problem and support them in stopping.

Incidently in case you didn't know I've been on the wagon for nearly 9 years

[jake-the-peg]

I think you're missing the point Zeuhl

Almost 50% of assault victims think their assailant was drunk

Aggressive drunks act on impulse and do not think of the consequences of strict sentences for violent behaviour.

So "cracking down" won't stop the violence - you might as well try to prosecute a dog for biting you

[puma86]

Never knew that Jake. Something new everyday :o)

Although I had alot to drink at weekends my friends and I were never once abusive to anybody - physically or verbally.
So it isn't the drink that makes people agressive, I think they are already agressive but the drink makes them worse or act without thinking. There were a group of lads who were known to be aggressive and most people steered well clear of them, but these lads were always like this not just when drunk, the drink just made them worse!

[vulcan]

how much of the binge drinking,both sexes, is due to the change in drinking hours introduced by this government in 2005 ?

[TTG]

Point taken Jake but it would stop the 'older' kid in the group buying the drink. Most people over 25 have grown up by then and moved on....I think!