Add to that the scare line about binge drinking increasing cases of mouth cancer, and you wonder why people do it at all......

The theory is that with staggered closing times, overstretched police forces won't have to deal with lots of drunks on the streets at the same time. People won't feel obliged to drink as much as possible as quickly as possible before closing and it may make for happier, amicable drunks rather than vicious, mewling, puking mobs making for the same taxi.

'Licenced premises' also covers off-licences, supermarkets and wine/beer warehouses, so it's possible that people will buy their alcohol there and take it home to drink. This has the other advantage that it's usually cheaper in supermarkets and you don't have to find a designated driver who is willing to watch everyone else drink themselves stupid whilst they spend twice as much money on half as much liquid. (Pub price for 1 pint beer = £2.30. Pub price for 1 pint orange juice = £2.80 and you can bet the juice only cost the landlord half that).

LTS