Binge Drinking Ely

Or maybe it's just that in the UK we do work the longest hours in Europe and so we have to squeeze our drinking into a shorter amount of time?

We certainly do seem to have a problematic relationship with alcohol in this country. I saw in the news that only Australia consumes more per person than we do. But it's not just the amount we drink I think much of the problem is in the way we consume our alcohol.

I can't speak for many countries but having lived in Spain for a few years I can see a really cultural difference. The Spanish can certainly drink their share, but they tend to drink in more social settings and consume alcohol along with food. They also tend to drink over longer periods of time meaning they are less affected by the more undesirable side of excessive drinking.

I'm not sure how we can learn any lessons from this. It is difficult for us in the UK to full develop the café culture and we already have more relaxed opening times for pubs. In the short term I do think that the minimum pricing idea is a good one, but like the health professionals I think the level needs to be a serious one if it is to succeed.

I agree with the health professionals to be honest. If someone is determined to have a drink, they will find the money, and lager at 38p a can, that's not going to deter many people is it?
I don't drink spirits but how much of a litre bottle would you have to drink to get wasted.....even if it's a third, thats just over £3.50 so you can see these youngsters getting really drunk at home before they even go out! Not sure what the answer is though....I admit to enjoying a nice glass of wine with dinner and I'd hate for that to become too costly so I guess I'm being a bit of a hypocrite really! Maybe its more about our attitude to drinking in the UK...do they have such issues with binge drinking in other countries?