/Is that really the case ? Wasn't it used in Hogarth's time ("Mother's Ruin") by the poor to retreat from the harsh reality of their lives ?/
Well that's failed logic. Injest a poisonous drug to blot out the problem which will still be there when you're sober but you can counteract that by always being drunk until you are so drunk you stumble into the road,trip on a pothole into the road and are killed by a car or as it was in those days you trip on am cobblestone and are killed by a horse and carriage or are diagnosed with liver failure in which case you now have a new problem which totally makes you forget the problem that first started you drinking.
The real questions is "Are you poor? No you have money to buy drink.
or "Are you retreating from am problem? Well instead of retreating and hiding from it you should seek medical help which is now available free on the nhs.
/And from the scenes on the streets when the clubs turn out it would appear to be very ANTI-social/
Yes, and every football match is filled with tattooed skinheads hooligans who will "kick your head in" if you're from an opposing team or every muslim wearing a rucksack is a suicide bomber.
Let's stop the generalising and mass hysteria you've been force fed by the media.
I've been clubbing many times and haven't experienced any problems.
What you've seen this on the news this is always as an "Investigation" or on a documentary which involves the program being their for many months from beginning to end usually with no events happening on the whole but when something does happen they record it and fit it into a short program giving you the impression that this happens all the time which it doesn't as these places would be shut down and have their licences revoked.
Here's an idea,instead of being worried senseless about this why not go clubbing yourself,have a great night dancing,socialising,meeting some great and interesting new friends as well as many lovely woman and see for yourself that not every night descends into world war 3? Go on,go to a club and report back here on your experience.