New dawn or binge-drinking nightmare?

By Darren Norbury, Editor, Beer Today

November 23, 2005: At midnight tonight the 2003 Licensing Act - hedonistic scourge of the modern age or herald of the age of a continental style, chilled-out Britain, dependent upon your viewpoint - comes into being.

Pubs can now - subject to the licences they have applied for in this brave new world - stay open up to 24 hours a day, although for most the variation is a couple of hours extra a few nights a week.

The country waits with waited breath to see if we descend into a pit of drunken depravity or if the extra hours have the effect the Government set out to achieve - staggered departures from pubs, slower drinking over longer periods, sensible restraint.

The tabloid hacks will be out on the streets, notebooks at the ready and photographers in tow, ready to capture those scenes binge-drinking Britain these weekend, the streets awash with blood and vomit, as the Daily Mail would put it.

But the publicans and bar owners know that behind the benevolence of the Licensing Act, in relaxing their hours and letting more cash - hopefully - flow into the tills, there lies stronger powers to cut back their hours or even revoke their licences altogether should they step out of line.

Let's face it, the vast majority of Britain drinkers and licensees are pretty responsible people. Teenagers of 2005 will get drunk and fight on the streets whether pubs are open until 9pm or 3am. It is a problem with society, not with the drinks industry.

Nobody can see into the future. I hope the Government's vision turns out to be fulfilled.

In the meantime, in common with just about every other drinker I know, the licensing hours changes will affect me not one iota. I shall remain a staunch member of the six o'clock club ... and that's 6pm, not 6am.