More violence in the streets and more alcoholism: these will be the consequences of the change in the law on the sale of wine and alcohol, according to the Christian churches of England and Wales. The Catholic church and the Protestant churches have joined forces with the British police and doctors in condemning the decision of the British government to allow pubs and clubs to sell alcohol twenty-four hours a day. Alcoholism is a real social scourge in Great Britain. According to Sarah Lindsell, head of “Caritas” in England and Wales, the change in the drinking hours “fails to bring home to the young the idea that alcohol is a drug that needs to be treated with care”. According to the De Paul Trust association that works with young people between the ages of 16 and 25 in prison or on the streets due to problems of alcoholism, “the increase of violence on the streets could involve young homeless people”. A spokesman of the Church of England emphasized that “the law will lead to people drinking more and longer”. In a debate in the House of Lords, the Anglican bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch emphasized that “only a very small budget of public money is allocated to services for combating alcoholism. The Methodist church and the Salvation Army have also campaigned energetically against any further liberalization of the law. According to Rachel Lampard, representative for political and parliamentary affairs of the Methodist church, the government hoped by its new law to introduce into Great Britain the café culture of the continent, but culture cannot be changed by legislation. “The message of this law”, said Rachel Lampard, “is that we can drink more and longer”.
