Jesus said
"The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath"
Mark 2 v 27
IT’S TIME TO CALL TIME ON 24HR DRNKING
This is a topic which we have covered many times and we make no apology for returning to it again.
The 24-hour drinking revolution was launched by the Government in November 2005 to bring Britain into line with other European countries. The law now allows pubs and clubs in England and Wales to apply for round-the-clock licences to serve a ‘café culture’ with a more mature approach to alcohol. It was also believed the move would reduce binge-drinking and violent crime in our town and city centres.
However medical and academic experts were pessimistic and claimed the increased availability of alcohol would simply mean a rise in the amount of drinking. Their fears were confirmed in recent figures which showed a twenty-five per cent rise in serious violent crimes in the early hours, particularly at weekends. The Home Office Affairs Committee has recommended that ministers clamp down on irresponsible bars and pubs.
However instead of a blanket ban on ‘happy hours’, the Home Office is considering banning only special offers. This is nothing more than tampering at the edges; it is not dealing with the root of the disease.
THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM
In Oldham, Greater Manchester, a nightclub offered, ‘All you can drink for £5.99.’ This has rightly been criticised for encouraging binge-drinking among teenagers. This promotion runs at weekends from 11pm to 3am. Drinkers get a voucher for their first drink, then exchange empty bottles for full ones. This, understandably, has been a huge success with youngsters. A mobile ambulance station has been set up in the town centre at weekends to respond to this unhealthy situation.
Similar instances are repeated in many town and city centres throughout the country. A young girl who served at a bar counter said, ‘I am paid to get people drunk.’ It is time to ‘call time’ before events are totally out of control.
LEADERS IN WEST YORKSHIRE SPEAK OUT
In a revealing interview with the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, West Yorkshire’s Chief Constable, Sir Norman Bettison, stated the late-night rowdy behaviour is the biggest problem faced by the police. He said, ‘There seems to be a culture of drinking yourself into oblivion. Young people particularly seem determined to go out every weekend and get hammered. My officers are run ragged until 6am.’
‘Thirty years ago the streets would be quiet after the last bus had left, but now the streets are always busy. Officers’ 10 hour shifts can be relentless.’ ‘What is happening raises a host of health, social and policing issues.’
The Chief Constable blames cheap booze offers and lengthy opening hours for contributing to excessive drinking.
Now, Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman turns his attention to 24-hour licensing laws and urges a return to sensible rules. He wants an immediate end to drinking all hours. He is convinced it is now time to draw a line and stop issuing licences that go on until 6am.
THE NEED FOR CHANGE
One of our greater concerns is that our children are learning from the bad examples they see around them, both in their own families, on television programmes, online and among their own peer groups. We have a culture that can damage not only the health of an individual, but also one that can destroy a family and blight communities. What is desperately needed, without delay, is a comprehensive plan of action to tackle it and the will and determination to ensure it succeeds.