Happy Hours scrapped by 32,000 pubs

Thousands of pubs across the UK will be scrapping Happy Hours and other free and cheap drinks promotions as the industry tries to get in before the government to tackle so-called binge drinking.

All 32,000 members of the British Beer and Pub Association -  including Carlsberg, Heineken, Scottish and Newcastle, Youngs, Theakston, Diageo, All Bar One, Slug and Lettuce and Pitcher and Piano - will be taking part.

The association says it hopes the measures will help combat the increase in binge drinking and anti-social behaviour which the government estimates costs Britain about £20bn a year.

As part of its war on the 'culture of disrespect', the government promised a bill to combat binge drinking in the recent Queen's Speech. 

Shortly after he was reelected prime minister, Tony Blair said: 'A society without prejudice should not be one without rules. People are rightly fed up with street corner and shopping centre thugs, yobbish behaviour, sometimes from children as young as 10 or 11, whose parents should be looking after them, of Friday and Saturday night binge drinking that makes our town centres no-go areas for respectable citizens, of the low level graffiti, vandalism and disorder that is the work of a very small minority, it is true, but makes the law abiding majority afraid and angry.'

British Beer and Pub Association spokesman Mark Hastings told the Daily Mirror that deals that encourage people to drink too much too quickly had no place in the industry. He had a straight face, apparently.

Binge drinking is dangerous and can cause brain damage but how widespread is it? And will this help? What do you think?