Tomorrow I will be sober – maybe
I grew up in Nottingham. Back then (I'm not going to tell you exactly when) Nottingham was an industrial town, surrounded by coal-mining communities. On Friday and Saturday nights the town centre would become a gladiatorial combat zone, with gangs of beery lads, their pockets lined with pay from the pits, roaming the streets looking for "a good time". Pay day signalled a piss-up - and often a punch-up as well. If you've ever read Alan Sillitoe's book Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Later I worked in the casualty department of a large accident-service hospital in Oxford. Thursday was always our busiest night, with more broken noses and fallen-over-drunk bruises than any other time. Thursday was pay day at the nearby Cowley car factory.
There has always been a binge-drinking culture among some sectors of society. So why has the home secretary suddenly decided to highlight the problem, and why has the Downing Street strategy unit come up with a report, the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England (see page 6)? The problem is becoming more widespread, that's why.
There are several reasons why the "work hard, play hard" binge-drinking set has expanded. Young people have more disposable income than they used to; they get well-paid jobs at a younger age; they settle down later; and licensing laws allow more places to sell alcohol for longer, and often at lower prices. Basically, it's easier to get drunk now than it ever has been.
The Government is calling on pubs and clubs to co-operate in helping to curb this self-destructive approach to drinking. That's fine, and as it should be. Voluntary co-operation is eminently more desirable than enforced regulation.
But if the culture is going to change significantly, it will take more than the purveyors of alcohol getting involved. Manufacturers have a responsibility as well, particularly when it comes to advertising and marketing alcopop-type drinks to teenagers. The Government needs to spread the message forcefully with a TV campaign in the way that it does to combat drink-driving or smoking. And companies, employers, need to look at how they can help by paying more attention to work-life balance and the reduction of stress in the workplace.
Curbing the dangerous habits of a growing band of bingers has to be a priority for everyone. For the health of the nation, we should all encourage restraint.