Drinking Laws

[Lei]

I'm sure a lot of UK people have heard, but I want opinions. ^_^


The biggest overhaul of licensing laws in more than 50 years has come into force.

Pubs, bars, clubs and stores in England and Wales are now allowed to serve alcohol for longer - and even round the clock.

The flexible opening hours have sparked fears alcohol-related disorder will increase, putting pressure on over-stretched police forces and hospital staff.

More than 1,000 premises will have the right to serve alcohol 24-hours, according to the latest Government figures.

Around 40% of premises have applied to vary their licences - either by extending their opening hours, or offering late food or entertainment.

This rises to around 65% for pubs, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke has said recorded crime is expected to rise because more police resources will be targeted at alcohol-related offences.

He said: "We are determined to tackle alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in all its forms and crack down on those who encourage it by irresponsible retailing."

But Britain's most senior police chief admitted he was worried his force's resources would be "stretched" by the new laws.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said: "We are concerned that our resources will be stretched into hours that we do not want them to be stretched into.

"I have made clear that I see anybody who wants a drink at four in the morning as a special interest group and those who are making profits out of it are going to have to pay."

Martin Shalley, president of the British Association for Emergency Medicine, said: "We already see people who have been injured because they have drunk too much.

"I think this is now going to occur a lot more frequently."


Personally, this does affect me. Not because I want to drink 24 hours, or go clubbing all the time, but cause at the moment I work in a club. The laws came in this week, and the club I work at is open an extra hour and a half. >_> I shouldn't complain cause I get more pay, but by 2am the people in the club tend to be pretty darn plastered, another hour and.....Well...Yeah, uberdrunks.

So, what do you think of these new licensing laws? Does it affect you? Are you glad that you can drink more hours without getting in trouble, cause you generally like alcohol or whatever? Are you disgusted? Are you not bothered?

Annnnnd what do you thuink it will generally do? I mean, surely it will put more pressure on the police AND the hospitals.. Also, surely crime alcohol related/influenced crime rates will go up too?

Oh, and if you're not in the UK, what if this was introduced to your country? =P

Give me opinions! I'm curious! >_>

[Midisama]

So, what do you think of these new licensing laws?

They suck. it's a completely ridiculous idea.

Does it affect you?

Yes, considering there's a pub behind our house. It was bad enough before.

Are you glad that you can drink more hours without getting in trouble, cause you generally like alcohol or whatever?

No. I can drink whenever the hell I like, and I suppose everyone else is entitled to that as well. But I don't drink at those hours in the morning. The evenings all I drink in. If they wanted to be open longer, they should have opened earlier; not stayed open later.

Annnnnd what do you think it will generally do? I mean, surely it will put more pressure on the police AND the hospitals.. Also, surely crime alcohol related/influenced crime rates will go up too?

Of course it will. But it serves them right for passing such a stupid law. Thank you so very much indeedy house of lords. You thought it was bad being woken up by the drunks at what? 3:00? 4:00 in the morning? Prepare for 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, and onwards. And expect broken windows, police cars at all hours. Wow! Ins't life going to be super funner now!

That last part was sarcasm in case you couldn't tell. ¬_¬

[Dr. Aeyze]

So, what do you think of these new licensing laws?

I can see where they're coming from, by having bars open all night there's much less of a rush to down as much alcohol as you can before the place closes up shop for the night. I think 24 hours is a little on the extreme side though.


Does it affect you? Are you glad that you can drink more hours without getting in trouble, cause you generally like alcohol or whatever? Are you disgusted? Are you not bothered?

Me being the freakishly unnatural teenager I am, I don't drink alchohol at all xD I'm weeeeird. The fact is that drunk people sorta scare me. I remember my Dad getting drunk once and I got hit over the head. Only once though, he never gets that drunk any more. Anyway, the thing is people act differently when their drunk. Without the closing hours people can drink there selves into a stupor with no limit on when they can stop (i.e. when they'd get kicked out before 24 hour opening times came into existence)


Annnnnd what do you thuink it will generally do? I mean, surely it will put more pressure on the police AND the hospitals.. Also, surely crime alcohol related/influenced crime rates will go up too?

I think it's a pretty safe bet that the hospitals are going to have to increase they're night shifts, I bet with no time limit some people would just drink drink and drink. Hospitals and the police force are already stretched as it is >_< I think the whole thing is a bit of a poorly thought out idea.

[Chris]

I can see their reasoning behind this - because it'll hopefully spread the drunks out throughout the day... I think... meaning less trouble to clean em up... but it means we're gonna see drunks at like... 10am...

But I just can't understand why they don't just... increase the police force? or enforce laws about drunken behaviour? Or whatever.. I dunno

its confusing me.

[Grae]

You're 17 and you work in a nightclub? I thought you had to be 18 to work in places like that. Well a lesson learned for me.
Law doesnt really affect me, except foro the afct the drunks will be walking up my street even later than before.
I don't drink, I dom't go to pubs or clubs, this doesn't really bother me at all.

[Mirae]

So, what do you think of these new licensing laws?
They're stupid...crime rates based on alcohol will go up, yippeday.
More violence in the streets. More drunks. Fun time. :rolleyes:


Does it affect you? Are you glad that you can drink more hours without getting in trouble, cause you generally like alcohol or whatever? Are you disgusted? Are you not bothered?
It doesn't *directly* affect me, as I don't drink at all. But it will affect the neighbourhood around you for sure...



Annnnnd what do you thuink it will generally do? I mean, surely it will put more pressure on the police AND the hospitals.. Also, surely crime alcohol related/influenced crime rates will go up too?
The latter will definitely happen. Sorry I can't write more, if I can think of more to write I will put it in @_@ Brain dead atm.


Oh and..
Dad getting drunk once and I got hit over the head.
Sounds familiar...alcohol destroys more than you'd want it to, in my eyes. I don't like it...

[Aiyuuji]

people are still going to binge drink people would drink from 10 in the morning to 5 in the morning they would be on there back by then but its true.
its silly and pointless it was fine the way it was people are just gonna drink for a longer period of time.

[Auron-X]

Well it doesn't effect me, since well i'm I don't drink (nor can as this age xP) and well we don't have laws like that here so yeah. But that's just kind of stupid still, I can kind of see their reason why, but I don't think it's worth it - having more crimes and such related to alcohol. And like some people said before, people who stay up that late will simply just drink more and more.

[Rai]

Considering I'm underage, I can't drink legally. Well, not in pubs. One interesting fact I heard is that crime has gone down slightly since the drinking laws...

Of course, it won't last.

[Chris]

its psychological innit? People think "Oh the laws have changed, I can drink for longer, but I'm not gonna 'cause thats stupid" so they drink less and act more sensible.

[Lei]

HAHAHAHAH, hardly. ^^;

The crime rate LOOKS like it's going down, but its not going to. The amount of fights/assults/ABH/drink driving/Accidents/Drug issues related to drink is going to go A LOT higher, VERY quickly.

As where I work I got an early, me and a couple of my workmates went to go to a pizza shop, and get some chips, on the way we saw a riot/fight, and rang 999. Now, it took 30 minutes for the police to get there (We were back in the bar by the time they came) Apparently they were dealing with other business.
They need to up the level of police, I reckon, especially at these early hours of the morning. In the main part of the city, that's already happened. There are as many police/ambulance staff as there was drinkers. Now I reckon, even if you were wrecked, if you saw police you'd stop and think "Well, er, me kicking down this railing isnt a good idea."

But *shrugs* We'll see in time, won't we? =D I'm so glad I dont go out drinking, MORE TROUBLE THAN IT'S WORTH

[Dusk]

but Seriously, just because pubs/clubs etc.. are open more hours isn't going to affect it that much, I mean ANYONE who wants to drink after the pubs and that have closed can, just make sure they bought some alcohol before the off-license closed, it's the same thing just now they dont have to go to the off-license for more alcohol they can just stay in a nice warm pub XD.

But in some areas, like tunbridge wells [chav city] I think it may get a bit bad with all the 18year old+ chavs getting pissed n'stuff then again, if your a chav then it doesnt matter age you are, they all get wrecked XD

[Zenn]

I am concerned about this new license... Ok sure, it means more time to enjoy ourselves, but heck it also means more drink to drinkers, and that leads to more drunk people and that leads to crime rates being pushed up... Its rather silly, why choose to change a 50 year tradition now?

[Grace Saunders]

Alcohol should be banned along with cigarettes and sick movies. Society will gain nothing from having them around.

[Areila]

I'm not old enough to go to pubs... So it doesn't affect me in the slightest. At least not for another one and a half years, anyway.

I do think it's a stupid idea, though. There are so many people who'll just sit there all day every day drinking themselves to death. Woooow... Uhm, yeah, so anyway, it's still a stupid idea.

[Tdk]

I think the government had a stupid view when changing these laws.
Maybe they thought if they extended the times like this they would stop binge drinking as people wouldnt want the need to get drunk so fast.

I think this is rather stupid because people dont binge drink because of the times.. they binge drink to get pissed.

Im not bothered at all about these drinking laws though. I am underage but i still go out to clubs and pubs. The only thing im not looking forward to is seeing more wasted people outside. Hopefully they'll all stay in the pub cos of the new laws.