A toast to longer drinking hours.

United Kingdom

Steve Bloomfield

The Independent

Maybe we Brits can hold our liquor after all, said Steve Bloomfield in the London Independent. Last week we were allowed to drink all night long, as new laws abolishing limited drinking hours took effect. Opponents had predicted “Armageddon.” Rowdy, drunken yobs were a menace even when pubs closed at 11

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, they said. Let them keep boozing, and the “town centers would become vomit-splattered no-go areas.” Instead, the weekend passed peacefully. The “wave of debauchery and alcohol-fueled violence” predicted for seaside resorts such as Bournemouth never materialized. The atmosphere in many places was actually “more relaxed” than usual, since bar patrons didn’t feel a need to chug as many pints as possible before closing time. “People won’t be drinking more,” said Bournemouth club owner Steve Hudson. “They’ll be drinking the same amount over a longer period of time.” If the first weekend of long hours is any indication, he’s right. By early Saturday morning, the vast majority of drinkers were already “safely tucked up in bed.”