The government has recently proposed liberalising Britain's licensing laws, potentially paving the way for 24-hour alcohol consumption in public places. The BMA, together with the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners, has rightly criticised this, based on evidence that this will increase the already considerable cost to individuals and society caused by heavy alcohol consumption, especially binge drinking. Perhaps the government genuinely believes that the rise in cirrhosis rates in geometric tandem with consumption is a coincidence. Maybe they reason that the young people who are responsible for the pools of urine, vomit, blood and other detritus that blight our cities and towns every Friday and Saturday night may become quite civilised, given even more time to drink alcohol.
A …