According to news reports in If this was to happen, I don't think it would make any difference to the binge drinking problems Britain suffers from. I think the regular punters on a Friday and Saturday night will still get obliterated on alcohol, regardless of the increase in price of their glass of vino or pint of lager.
In reality, it is Britain's attitude towards drinking that causes problems and not the cheapness of alcohol. Why is it in England there is an obsession for getting absolutely off your face? A feature on my university's website about
In other countries alcohol is regarded in a completely different way. Take France for example. Children are introduced to drinking alcohol at a young age, and are brought up with a laid-back, all in moderation approach to alcohol. A night out is not a big deal in France, you may meet up for after work drinks and have a few glasses of alcohol, but nobody gets legless.
My Parisian friend Marion does not understand the 'living for the weekend' attitude we have in England, drinking is just something that might happen on a night out, but it is not the reason for going out. When I went out in Paris with a friend last year, we didn't understand why men passing us by would shout "English, English" at us, how could they tell? Because we were dressed up to the nines, making a big deal of going out and getting tipsy, which is just not the approach French people have towards alcohol.
If the price increase in alcohol does go ahead, I don't think we are going to be seeing sober streets in England anytime soon. The answer lies in teaching people moderation, and approaching alcohol with a far more laid-back perspective towards it than which we have.
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