Ha Ha ..The Brits are Drunks!

[trumad]

Join the crowd Buckwheats...

British Worry That Drinking Has Gotten Out of Hand
By SARAH LYALL

Published: July 22, 2004

Revelers in Birmingham on a Saturday night. Sometimes partying goes too far, angering the neighbors.


The New York Times

LONDON, July 22 - Britain has always been a place where people enjoy a drink or two (or more) at the local pub, and where football hooligans and so-called lager louts represent the public face of overconsumption. But lately the country's growing inability to hold its liquor has taken on the scope of a national crisis.

Even Prime Minister Tony Blair is worried. "There is a clear and growing problem in our town and city centers up and down the country on Friday and Saturday nights," said Mr. Blair, whose son, then 16, was found vomiting and incoherent on a London street four years ago after an evening of drinking. "As a society we have to make sure that this form of what we often call binge drinking doesn't become the new British disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/22/international/europe/22bing.html?hp

[T_i_B]

1. At least this isn't in LBN!

[jpgray]

3. Don't your bars close earlier than those in the states?

I thought I remembered from a friend who visited that last call is around midnight.

[trumad]

4. They close around 11:30

but there's a new law coming around to allow Bar keeps to keep them open later... It's in the piece..

[HamdenRice]

8. Early closing causes binging

I stayed in London for a couple of months a few years ago -- for my job. I like English ales and bitter, so I got a good view of pub culture. The bars did indeed close early -- 11:00 or 11:30 -- a law that dates back to either WWI or WWII and has long outlived its usefulness.

One of the reasons the British get drunk is that at 11:00 people really start tanking up in a rush to get a buzz before the pub closes.

At closing time, all these drunk people spill onto the streets and especially if there has been a big soccer game, fights happen.

If they let the bars stay open for a normal night life, some of the newspapers were arguing, there would not so much binging.

Also, BTW, dance clubs and restaurants are allowed to stay open later and sell beer and wine. When the dance clubs close much later, you don't see the same kind of behavior.

[T_i_B]

10. hahahahaha.....................no.

"When the dance clubs close much later, you don't see the same kind of behavior."

I can tell you from experience that is not the case. I have seen far more fights outside kebab shops at 2:30 then I have at 11:30.

[T_i_B]

6. Pubs have last orders at 11

but there has been a real proliferation of bars with late licences recently. (most of which I might add I find to be dire). This is a big factor in the rise in alcohol related problems.

The idea that is bandied about is that of "continental cafe culture" but I simply don't think we have that in this country. In the UK it's about getting as many beers down your throat as possible rather than taking your time and relaxing about your drink. We have a binge drinking culture in the UK and I cannot see that changing.

[jpgray]

9. It's really no different here for the kids

But because so much of our widely available beer is lousy my experience is we usually go for liquor unless there's a keg party involved.

[T_i_B]

11. Most binge drinking...

...involves either nasty lagers like Fosters or Carling, or worse still alcopops like bacardi breezers. Real Ale drinkers like me tend to keep to our favoured locals rather than go into town centres to drink. (although that might be something to do with real ale types being older than your average clubber)

[D-Notice]

7. Depends where you are

A lot of places have last orders at 11pm, so out by midnight

Some places - big cities, nightclubs - have last orders at 2am

Depends on what the local laws say...

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Hey wait... isn't that a picture of Jenna and Barbara???

Only kidding!
:)

[demnan]

5. Hey you stole the words right out of my mouth!

[donhakman]

12. hic

[BlueEyedSon]

13. Looks like the IRISH have the Brits beat!