Wednesday, August 10, 2005

New drink laws 'lead to violence'

BBC NEWS | UK | New drink laws 'lead to violence'
It doesn't take genius, or a judge, to work this out. You have to question why a government originally elected as providing moral leadership (remember the ethical foreign policy that lasted, ooh, five minutes) is promoting this self-evidently disastrous policy in the face of common sense and the advice of the people who have to deal with the consequences of it. It couldn't be that the govt is in thrall to business, could it?
When all this was being debated last year, a former student of mine wrote to the Guardian with an excellent idea:
"During five years in Australia, I never experienced the kind of binge drinking-fuelled public disorder that Tony Blair appears to want the alcohol industry to "manage", as much as eliminate.
When Queensland police arrest people for being drunk and disorderly, they find out where they were overserved and then fine the bar staff responsible £1,000 and the licensee £15,000 - ergo, it rarely happens. All but the tamest happy hours and promotions are illegal.
Guy Redden"
If we must extend the licensing hours, let's have this as well.