Tony Blair's Answer to Popular Discontent

Experts warn that Britain has gone from a nation "enjoying a harmless tipple" to one developing "a dangerous alcohol addiction". The researchers say that the average UK resident's life expectancy has been reduced by ten months for men and five for women, due to drinking. Source.

This story comes less than a year after Tony Blair's government pushed through a new 24-hour drinking law, scrapping Britain's decades-old regulation of pub closing hours. When the 24-hour law went into effect last November, a critic warned:

"Thousands of prominent doctors have gone on record as saying that this is crazy and will lead to a boom in health problems among young people .... Yet the Government seems determined to press ahead ... The pretext is set to give Police more power on the streets and allow them to take more liberties with people out after 9pm.... " Source.

Oh, and people will be too wasted to worry about Blair's policies in Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, etc.