Demon drink?

By Paul Fulford on Feb 23, 09 11:49 AM

Drink's a laugh, right? Going out with your mates and drinking so much that next morning you can't remember what you did. Throwing up. Falling over.

Let's not mince words. Over the years I've enjoyed many booze-fueled nights and still enjoy what a good drink.

Indeed, I never wholly trust people who don't enjoy a tipple. Why are they so worried about drinking? Do they become homicidal maniacs the moment a glass touches their pursed, disapproving lips?

However, an incident at the weekend made me reconsider.

A young man, aged about 25 and reasonably well dressed, stood swaying and drunk at a bus stop at 4.30 in the afternoon, the damp patch on his trosuers and around his feet showing that he'd urinated himself.

I'm not railing against alcohol - as I said: I'm a fan - rather against a culture that regards heavy drinking as a normal activity and a bit of a laugh.

Most of us can cope. But in this climate there are bound to be casualties.

Pity the guy I saw. For he represents the dark side of our binge drinking culture.