British Expatriate Network

So a new era has been ushered in. 24 hour drinking in pubs in Britain is now perfectly legal.

http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4464284.stm


I have mixed feelings about this. There's no doubt that the old licensing hours were ridiculous. When I lived in London, the largest city in Europe, it drove me crazy.

But is it just going to another extreme? Britain has always had a drinking culture problem in my view and I'm not entirely convinced by the argument that this was all due to binge drinking BECAUSE of the licensing laws. IE people drinking up arounrd 11pm. I think the idea that it will all become a civilised continental-style drinking culture, is pie-in-the-sky. It's not popular with the police or the hospitals. I think something more moderate like 1am would have been more appropriate.

I also feel that Britain should find ways to curb public drinking and ways to clamp down on problem pubs. I find myself siding with the Conservative critic who says the Government got it the wrong way around.

What do you think? And out of curiosity, what are the licensing hours like where you live?

Here in Ontario it's 11am to 2am seven days a week, which is quite civilised. Bars are quite tightly regulated though - measured shots, no promoting happy hours and licenses can be quite easily suspended for fights or serving underage. The drinking age here is 19. You are not allowed to buy drinks to take home or off premises, although you are allowed to take your own wine to some restaurants.

But it does feel a bit nannyish at times I have to admit. When we go across the border to Buffalo, (open to 4am - huge shots, two drinks for the price of one, bartenders with big hair etc.) for us it feels like being naughty children visiting sin city!

Buffalo as sin city, never been there but I guess compared to where your at it could be. I know they drink alot in Buffalo. I don't drink any more but the hours are 600AM to 200 AM. I am for 24 hour drinking. Drinkers work all kinds of hours and if they want to hit the pub at 530 AM it is really none of my business, unless they start driving or getting violent see no problem with it at all, in fact I'm in favor of it. A majority of drinkers go in there to relax and enjoy good company, it is that 5% that causes problems and makes the 95% look bad.

You can actually drink in most places in Buffalo until 4am.

I dunno about this either. It'll stop the mad exit at 11 that led to fights and silliness. But it certainly doesn't help the severe drinking problem that Britain has.

Having said that when I last lived in the UK I wasn't exactly a good boy. And most places I went were open all night and morning, or we just went to a come-down party somewhere. Now I don't do that sort of thing anymore the whole things seems ridiculous. But then from my experience the local pub is going the way of the dodo. My sister tells me that there are no suitable places to go where she lives anymore - they've all turned into places that just want younger people who don't just want a few drinks with their mates.

24 hour drinking works just fine here.

Yes but where you are the hotels put a condom on your pillow instead of a chocolate lol

While the right wing press like the Telegraph, love to portray British society as a crumbling wreck, where the working class in its ignorance is sinking further down the pit of depravity and ruining it for the nice educated middle class, the British aren't actually the heaviest alcohol consumers.

I think that graph is pretty meaningless. It doesn't have to do with the total amount a country consumes, it's the way people consume it.

Alcohol is blamed for 40 per cent of all hospital admissions in Britain - 70 per cent at night. That's what we're really dealing with here.

And I never thought it had anything to do with class or left wing or right wing. Some of the worst drunks I've seen in London are hooray henries. And their vomit looks the same all over tube station platforms.

Two points to make.

1) People will be able to go home on a Friday, chill out for a bit, have a bite to eat and then go out and drink without it being a race to 11pm. Also haveing a dinner means it won't be on an empty stomach.

2) There won't be the huge influx of pissheads onto the streets at 11pm it will be a lot more staggered. Therefore crime may go down, and you might be able to get a taxi.

:?: It the total amount of alcohol consumed, per person by mean average. It doesn't break it down into age groupings or type of alcohol consumed the total pure alcohol.

You're right, alcohol consumption is not necessarily a class issue, but unfortunately the right wing press and the Bob and Margaret’s of this world are too readily intent to ignore facts and base their opinions on their prejudice.

Lets the pubs stay open as long as they like and lets treat the British public like adults and manage their lives. I mean we've been at it for a few thousand years.

OF course pubs should stay open 24 /7 if was there no longer would i have to rush home from my airport shift and dash to the pub before it closes .

like any other social activity folks should be able to pertake of it when ever they choose ..
One more nannyism bites the dust

Apparently the first weekend has passed without a noticable increase in alcohol related incidents.

I think its great to be able to get a beer when you want, I'm going to enjoy going back to England now.

wink You could drink 24hrs in the UK if you know where to go lol. First find the early morning markets. The pubs around there normally open at 2am. So it can be done.

Just now they have taken all the fun out of trying to find them lol

While I agree with pubs being opened at least to compete with clubs, do you think that the Bull in Barton will stay open that late?

Good question, in the rural towns they proberly know where to get a drink anytime they need one

I remember lock-ins. I think a lot of pubs had lock-ins.