Getting drunk whatever the price

When I first arrived in England about 15 years ago now, I remember being utterly shocked by the lack of remorse, regret or shame of the young girls where I worked when they found themselves, after a night out, in bed with an unknown man, or forgot how they got home, or what they had done. They seemed to think getting absolutely "bladdered" was simply amusing. Getting drunk was the objective and pleasure of their outings. In fact they boasted about it.

I am an expert on drinking, being a 'recovered' alcoholic and my behaviour under the influence of alcohol was what made me stop drinking. I was ashamed of my behaviour - the loss of memory, the inability to walk, vomiting, hangovers, belligerence and loss of all elegance. Yet these are the things called "fun" by the girls of England  - a very strange situation.  I have nothing against alcohol. But it can be very dangerous stuff. To my mind it has caused more suffering and harm than any cigarette. My smoking friends that gave up because of anti-smoking pressure, say they drink more now. In the UK drinking is portrayed in telly programs as desirable and necessary form of solution/celebration.  Added to that sex has been reduced to the idea of mere copulation and violence, swearing and foul language is served up in huge dollops in the cinema and on TV here.

So if you think foul mouthed, aggressive, sexually abandoned drunkenness is "fun"  - that's what you'll do for "fun" in a materialistic, artificial, superficial, hopeless and helpless society.

There is something very wrong with the soul of the UK - deep in the psyche of its citizens. It is an illness that putting up the price of alcohol is not going to "cure".