On 23 Jul, 00:24, freepo wrote:
On Jul 22, 3:40 pm, Frederick Williams
wrote:

I thought that pubs could not legally sell an alcoholic drink to an
intoxicated person. *But I must be wrong because them doing so is being
reported as contrary to a voluntary standard rather than contrary to the
law:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7516507.stm. *Folks here will know if
I am outright wrong or just a bit confused (hic).
--
He is not here; but far away
* The noise of life begins again
* And ghastly thro' the drizzling rain
On the bald street breaks the blank day.

I saw a drinks industry guy give an interview on News (associated
British Pubs or somefink) he was saying
"no one forces them to get drunk" basically saying it's not our
fault. *I shouted at the TV "But you're the ones serving them when
they are drunk".


Are you referring to the article on BBC News at 10 - Mark Hastings of
British Beer and Pub Association?

It was actually a very moderate and balanced statement regarding
personal choice and responsibility. The news item was on people
regularly consuming alcohol to excess, to the extent that it damages
their health and requires hospital treatment.

He said:-

"No one forces anyone to go out to drink, or to drink to excess. Those
are personal choices that people make, and they need to be held to
account when those choices and decisions go wrong, and lead them down
the wrong path."

That introduces some well-needed balance into the discussion.

Serving individuals on occasions when they are drunk is indeed an
issue where the licensed trade should be held to account, but that is
a separate issue.

The basic problem (and the topic of the item) is the culture of
drinking to excess, or to get drunk, either in the home, or going for
'a good night out' with that being a deliberate attempt to get
legless, and that is an issue of personal choice and responsibility,
and it is refreshing to see someone actually saying it.

Toom