Nick Robinson's Newslog: Decision time on Britain's booze culture‏

Ahh, binge boozing.
I like a drink, and there have been the odd times when I've had a few too many.
But personally, I don't think the price is the key. I think it's the culture that underpins the practice in the first place.
There is a slightly Victorian element of punishing the poor for their excesses. What I mean is that the idea behind minimum pricing is to price some people out of binge drinking. But the higher up the income scale you go, the less that will matter.
While I have on occasion had a few too many, I'm yet to do anything that bad when in that state. The odd embarrassing moment, often in front of a lady who at the time seems to be the most beautiful in all the world.
But I think it comes down to culture, so we're really talking about social engineering here. Not necessarily a problem, if you're willing to accept it.
How do you change a binge drinking culture? Don't know. I'd imagine it goes very deep. Hating your job, alienation from other people and culture, loneliness, lack of self disciple (mine), lack of ambition - so that better battered becomes the only ambition.
I don't know, but that's my pennies worth.