I think that the problem of alcohol abuse has been around for a long time. There is neither a simple cause nor a simple answer.

Yet again I have read that schools and teachers are to blame. In part I have to agree, as a teacher, that many children are under stress because of our target - led education system.However, I also believe that other adults are also to blame. Children today have very little "down time". Their school day is far more structured and full than my school day ever was.Many children are absolutely exhausted at the end of the day. Many of them are then driven to swimming lessons, dance lessons,extra tuition sessions,music schools etc etc.They then come home and start on their homework.There seems to be the belief that children should be occupied and learning all the time and that no time should be wasted.I often wonder how mums and dads would feel if someone dragged them away from the telly -when they flopped there at the end of a hard day -and made them do something "worthwhile and educational."Perhaps we need to lighten up as a society and let our children play ( Just like we did ) without being told off for playing on that lovely grass or making a noise.

I'm not making excuses for poor behaviour, but we seem to resent seeing children out and about, playing and "wasting time".Their lives are so structured and busy. I fear that we will see more and more "burnout" in children.However, this is not just the fault of we dreadful, uncaring, "stressy" teachers. It is the fault of society as a whole.Grown ups can develop drinking problems when they drink to escape. Maybe one of many causes of drinking problems in young people is this need to switch off and forget.

When I was younger (and no, I don't consider myself so old!) ,most pub managers would refuse to serve anyone who appeared to have "had enough." Most people went to a single pub or club for the whole night, and it would quickly become obvious to the landlord or landlady who was drinking to excess or becoming anti-social. A "quiet word" would be had, and the drinking was either then moderated or the person went home.Anyone turning up drunk to a pub or club was refused service. Does this not happen any more? Clubs and pubs seem to cater for "passing trade", with pub crawls more the norm.If drinking was monitored more carefully,then we wouldn't have quite so many people rolling out drunk onto the streets at the end of the night. Young people would still get drunk at first, because everyone needs to learn what their own limits are .I've been there, and a few experiences of ruined, shortened nights out and wretched hangovers soon taught me what my own limits were!

I believe that many adults set a bad example too. Not everyone sprawled on the street is a teenager. In fact I would say that the majority of people I have seen are in their late twenties or early thirties. The most common excuse?They were stressed out and needed to let their hair down.............I'm sure that there are many more reasons for the problem of alcohol abuse and antisocial behaviour , but I should stop typing now because I'm getting on my high horse. Many people will disagree quite strongly with my opinion, but hey, I'm a grown up.I've had a hard day and I'm off to grab a small glass of wine and put my feet up.I rest my case.