drinking regulations in the UK

WARNING: Boring topic ahead.
FACT: The drinking licensing laws change this month, with effect of 24th of November. It will mean that pubs will be open 24 hours. Of course, the pubs that have applied for the license.

I feel obliged to tackle this subject, I don't know why ... it's not about me, I do binge drink sometimes, but just because the threshold for binge drinking is set too low. I've never lost conscience after drinking, I've never forgot what I've done the night before, I've never had problems getting home. And I don't drink like there's no tomorrow.

I like the liberalisation of drinking hours because I believe in free choice, and this country is already a nanny state. The only positive things come from Brussels, a bit of arm twisting of course. The answer to problems is education.

The problem of drinking and laxation of drinking laws is turning into a big national fuss. The main problem is a problem of getting used to. People are used to drinking fast and fitting as many drinks as possible in the shortest amount of time. Everyone fears the new drinking license regulations because people will still do the same, out of habit, drink very quickly but not just for 4-5 hours but for the whole night, and day, and night...
But it's physically impossible to do that, there's only a limited amount of alcohol you can drink before you get in a coma and you DIE! Surely there will be problems during the transition period, because it's not easy to change years of getting used to, overnight. These are laws that will pay off in time. And how?

If people pace their drinks ... their kidneys actually have a chance to do some work of flushing the alcohol. But they can still drink all night, right? Well, yes, but at some point money runs out, as England is not the cheapest place to have a pint. It's a bit cynical, but yes, for some people it's the only stop ... money running out!

One important thing with 24 hours drinking laws is however that people will leave pubs at different times, not all together. Because at 11.30 everyone is on the streets, drunk, making their way home or to the next club, a colourful mix of people, it's just a recipe for disaster. And everyone who's been on the streets of London or any other city in England at 12am knows this very well. It's quite a chaotic view. With the new laws, decent people can still drink decently and leave home more safely, because they don't have to mix with the bad elements.
But what if people stay there all night and same thing happens? Well, some people will still leave early, as they have to catch the last tube, the last train, the last something ... so there will still be that mixture of drunken people on the streets at that time. But now you have the option of staying a bit longer in the pub until the mass of commuters flushes out the streets of London and then walk casually to the night bus.

Another good thing is that in time, some other places might stay open late, like restaurants, cinemas, etc. offering a choice to the free-choice-lovers or to the poor insomniacs. And in time people's mentality will change for the better, the alcohol might stop being the forbidden fruit ... which might actually prove excellent news for the british sex life. And also will help Britain lose the first position in the top of the rates of teenagers' pregnancy in Europe.

It's all good mid-long term news for John Doe!