Alcohol, and binge drinking

[Plain Peter]

Only if Doris can get a few words in too
I'm not sure we'll be there though.
I'm working 4 on 2 off, and while I'm off on that Saturday I'm at work at 0700 on Sunday.
Me and Doris enjoy a bit of social imbibing before and after the game, and a stop-over.
So I'd not get back home for work, nor be fit to do it
But I'll work on swapping a shift.

[shrimper]

Whenever I go I try to only have a couple of drinks, otherwise I'm worried that I'll miss marking down a number.

Imagine being a bit too drunk and missing out on the million pound jackpot because your mind wandered and you didn't mark out two and five - 25!

[Harry]

When was the last time you went into a nightclub Peter? Regardless of what you may think (or what you may have seen on certain 'documentaries') it's not full of hundreds of oiks funnelling spirits down their collective gullet. The vast majority use alcohol, nightclubs and relaxed drinking hours to have a good time. You get the odd silly bugger but you do in most walks of life.

I think the government need to get real with what their perception of a sensible/acceptable level of drinking is, and encourage people to have a good time within those guidelines.

[North Stand Shrimp]

The problem isn't with the rules, it's with the implementation of them and making sure that all licensed premises are sticking to the letter of the law.

The licensing act says that as a licensee you are not allowed to knowingly sell alcohol to someone intoxicated. Week in week out pubs and clubs and off license's sell to people who are already drunk, therefore breaking the law.
I have a License and have worked in Lancaster city centre pubs and can honestly say that it is a minority of people who don't know when to stop drinking that spoil it for everyone else. The problem is that if the licensee's were to follow the letter of the law those people would not get served! I think the sqeezed profit margins of pubs due to taxation and loss leading prices of supermarkets maybe causing some pressure on them though and it isn't completely their fault!
What we need is a complete shift in what is socially acceptable. In most of the continental cities, being sloshed out of your head is an embarrassment, whereas here it is a medal worn with pride by some. The only way this social shift can be brought about is through the education of the next generation.
Instead of trying to restrict the liberties of everyone to solve the issues of a minority we should be looking at the deep ceated social problems that bring about the binge drinking in the first place and tackle the issues of social acceptability and responsibilty from primary school upwards.
IMO the biggest contributing factor to the issue of social acceptabilty and responsibility when it comes to drink, is the gradual shift in the last 10 years or so away from the local pub where you knew the landlord and the other regulars, to the city centre, large, chain type pubs where you have no attachment or feeling of responsability to the owners, the area or the other drinkers. The old saying, don't shit on your own doorstep comes to mind!
I say, giving back the city centre's to shops, cafe's and restaurants would be a good start.

[Plain Peter]

When was the last time you went into a nightclub Peter?

A long time ago.
It's the noise that used to get to me.
Shouting at people to hold a conversation doesn't do anything for me.
Me and Doris would have our front-room discos to Culture Club, Barry White, Chris Rea, Tina Turner, Prefab Sprout, Lighthouse People, and the like.

[greenshrimp]

What a government ban on all alcoholic drinks greater than 2% vol and a minimum amount of mixer per shot of spirit?

Allow people to drink what they want when they want but reduce the alcohol intake?

I wouldn't go for it, but a thought...

[Harry]

All alcoholic drinks above 2% - so anything but mild?

With that logic you wouldn't need a minimum amount of mixer - spirits would be barred

[Aspers]

I think all bars should be Gay bars.
More often than not if I am going out I usually go to or end up in gay bars.
I have only ever seen 1 incident when this lad called this other lad a bitch and slapped him across the face with his palm. they both burst into tears and then hugged.

Mind Binge drinking happens in gay bars as well. Any way last time I binged drunk Bondi Blonde, had about 15 pints. Not drinking that again. Gives you a really sore arse when you wake up.

[Keith]

Bind Minge drinking happens in gay bars as well...

Suppin' from the furry cup...















I hope MarkS gets home soon, so someone sensible can moderate this forum

[George Dawes]

I think all bars should be Gay bars.
More often than not if I am going out I usually go to or end up in gay bars.
I have only ever seen 1 incident when this lad called this other lad a bitch and slapped him across the face with his palm. they both burst into tears and then hugged.

Mind Binge drinking happens in gay bars as well. Any way last time I binged drunk Bondi Blonde, had about 15 pints. Not drinking that again. Gives you a really sore arse when you wake up.

i bet your talking about kings cross Sydney it's unbelievable , but you still get a loads of fit birds in them bars anyway


and binge drinking they have 24hr drinking in other country's with no problems maybe we just have a social problem and even before all-day drinking there was just as many fights and incidents..

[PUNKISDEAD]

Peter

you say

Restaurants alchohol only to be sold with meals


So are you saying people cannot have a cup of tea or a soft drink with their meal


Binge drinkers would not waste money on food, would they

[durhamshrimp]

I'm sick to death of this subject, and the air-time it gets.
Back to basics, that's the solution.

Pubs opening hours: 1100-1430 and 1730-2300 (ditto weekends). That's 9 hours per day in total.
Nightclubs: Who needs them?
Supermarkets and off-licences: 1100-1800. 7 hours per day in which to stock-up.
Restaurants: Alcohol sold only with meals.

It's simple, so what is the problem?

Hilarious. I'm not sure what world you're living in but in Durham things seem to have got better since people aren't shoving as much booze down their throat at 11pm. I'd go as far as to say people seem to drink less over a longer time and more responsibly.

Can you elaborate on "Nightclubs: Who needs them?" Personally I'm not a great fan of nightclubs but what is that suggesting? A ban? Make them illegal? Not sure what you mean by it.

[parceldave]

Aspers wrote:
I think all bars should be Gay bars.
More often than not if I am going out I usually go to or end up in gay bars.
I have only ever seen 1 incident when this lad called this other lad a bitch and slapped him across the face with his palm. they both burst into tears and then hugged.

Mind Binge drinking happens in gay bars as well. Any way last time I binged drunk Bondi Blonde, had about 15 pints. Not drinking that again. Gives you a really sore arse when you wake up.




i bet your talking about kings cross Sydney it's unbelievable , but you still get a loads of fit birds in them bars anyway


and binge drinking they have 24hr drinking in other country's with no problems maybe we just have a social problem and even before all-day drinking there was just as many fights and incidents..

Lord Nelson in Sydney is good for beer and birds to , much better than that other Lord Nelson

The Aussies and the Finns for example like a good drink better than most, but they're not over populated like we are. Thats one big problem.

[durhamshrimp]

I don't drink at all, but your plan is bananas. Tackle the people with the problems, let everyone else enjoy doing what they like.

And how do you tackle the people with the problem?
With respect, I suggest to you that there are more people now with an alcohol problem than there ever have been, and it's getting worse.

Is it? Take off your rose tinted specs mate.

Same old same old from the moral right. Always banging on about it no longer being a free country but then at the same time want to take rights away from us because 'they know best'. If i fancy a trip down the pub for a few pints at 3pm or 1am its got f**k all to do with some out of touch old fuddy duddy who wants to take that right away from me.

[shrimpnsave]

I don't drink at all, but your plan is bananas. Tackle the people with the problems, let everyone else enjoy doing what they like.

And how do you tackle the people with the problem?
With respect, I suggest to you that there are more people now with an alcohol problem than there ever have been, and it's getting worse.

Is it? Take off your rose tinted specs mate.

Same old same old from the moral right. Always banging on about it no longer being a free country but then at the same time want to take rights away from us because 'they no best'. If i fancy a trip down the pub for a few pints at 3pm or 1am its got f**k all to do with some out of touch old fuddy duddy who wants to take that right away from me.[/quote

[Plain Peter]

Can you elaborate on "Nightclubs: Who needs them?" Personally I'm not a great fan of nightclubs but what is that suggesting? A ban? Make them illegal? Not sure what you mean by it.

I was wondering where you'd got to DS
I'll answer your questions when you can answer a few put your way that you always conveniently avoid.

I think I've explained what I've said already.
I'm not saying I'm right, nowt new there .
But I've said it, I said it for reaction, and got it.
I don't mind the personal stuff, sticks'n'stones and all that.
It's a shame half your stuff gets moderated out, but at least we have something in common

I'll only change my mind when the subject of booze disappears from the headlines.
Don't suppose you've any idea when that might be?
Oops, forget that question DS, you'll only avoid it

[PUNKISDEAD]

I do not know you peter, but you are coming across as a bit of an old, rambling buffoon who keeps funny hours, all this do as i say, not as i do bit about drink, and I dont need the money but i work, seems a bit sad and attention seeking to me, have you got an old BMW

[Plain Peter]

Doesn't every forum have one?
Thank goodness for the , I thought it might be a never-ending sentence.

[shrimper]

They can drink as much as they want for me. That way they'll be more likely to miss their numbers being called out and I can scoop the jackpot.

[durhamshrimp]

Can you elaborate on "Nightclubs: Who needs them?" Personally I'm not a great fan of nightclubs but what is that suggesting? A ban? Make them illegal? Not sure what you mean by it.

I was wondering where you'd got to DS
I'll answer your questions when you can answer a few put your way that you always conveniently avoid.

I think I've explained what I've said already.
I'm not saying I'm right, nowt new there .
But I've said it, I said it for reaction, and got it.
I don't mind the personal stuff, sticks'n'stones and all that.
It's a shame half your stuff gets moderated out, but at least we have something in common

I'll only change my mind when the subject of booze disappears from the headlines.
Don't suppose you've any idea when that might be?
Oops, forget that question DS, you'll only avoid it

Never will if you read the Mail. Booze Britain, problem immigrants, immorality of homosexuals, paedophiles etc etc etc will always continue to exist and be a massive problem as long as the Mail group wants to continue to sell newspapers to bigots. If you take lies from papers at face value then you're always going to have something to whine about.

[sgt major]

A lot of the booze problems as outlined by some good posts on this thread are that SOME folk in this country think it is their God given right to get absolutely hammered when they go for a drink.

I for one operate the correct policy of refusing to serve anyone staggering in blind drunk whilst keeping a close eye on the "Happy Drunks" from the regulars (Police advise) Do you also know it is against the Football laws to be drunk inside a ground????

Another factor is the proliferation of Class A drugs which are a scourge on society and when taken with alcohol turn some folk into absolute disgraces.

The taxation issue, cheap loss leading prices from supermarkets (who are invoiced months later for the booze they buy), and has been stated, the soulless town centre cafe with beer Weatherspoon type establishments have all but killed the local boozer.

I would imagine there are no binge drinkers in the George, Dog and the York because we are the last bastions of a local - in town many have to apply the cheap booze policy because of the cutthroat business this has become - sad and it's ripped the heart out of what was once a thriving town centre social scene.

PS - the weather doesn't help either

[George Dawes]

sad and it's ripped the heart out of what was once a thriving town centre social scene.

Morecambe night life thriving was when everybody from round here even Lancaster use to all come down and drink in up until 1995ish, and as never recovered since, it as no comparison now to such a superb city to live in(all be it by Morecambe council tax payers help )


but am not going to start going on about the good old days and when Morcambe had its own council

[durhamshrimp]

Stewart Lee is talking the most sense here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY0YrwQCYq8

[P/T Indie]

I for one operate the correct policy of refusing to serve anyone staggering in blind drunk whilst keeping a close eye on the "Happy Drunks" from the regulars (Police advise) Do you also know it is against the Football laws to be drunk inside a ground????


Am I right in thinking it is illegal to be drunk in a pub

[sgt major]

I for one operate the correct policy of refusing to serve anyone staggering in blind drunk whilst keeping a close eye on the "Happy Drunks" from the regulars (Police advise) Do you also know it is against the Football laws to be drunk inside a ground????


Am I right in thinking it is illegal to be drunk in a pub

Like I said Phil, on Police advice we landlords need to be aware of the "locals" who come in and obviously (as alcohol makes you a bit squiffy ) have a few pints to forget the dreary weather and the recession. They are willing to allow the landlords common sense to prevail, unlike some folk who have been mentioned earlier, go into licenced premises in a state and get served.

Sometimes it takes a bit of guts and determination to refuse to serve someone coming in off the street who is or acts drunk (however, can someone define drunk?????). Some pubs take the money whatever the circumstances - I know where I would drink!!!!!!!

Great piece in the Mail today on the state of young binge drinkers - they blame bad parenting - hallelujah.