Britain on the Bottle: Alcohol and the State - The 'Drink Question': Past and Present

In the last decade or so Britain has experienced renewed social and political panic over the consequences of excessive drinking, and the concept of 'alcohol related harms' has entered the language. A coherent policy community has developed, and research has multiplied, around questions of alcohol control. But governments have seemingly been reluctant to listen. Mark Whitaker concludes his look at the politics of alcohol since the 17th century by examining New Labour's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy of 2004, and related relaxation of the licensing system. Whitaker interviews the historians whose work has informed his own research, and asks them how they think the past can or should inform present policy. He talks to James Nicholls, Virginia Berridge, John Greenaway and Betsy Thom. They address questions about why the 'Drink Question' has been defined differently at different times; why the liquor industry has been so politically powerful; why the temperance movement lasted so long but seemingly achieved so little; and why alcoholism and drunkenness have posed distinct policy challenges. Above all, they reflect on the complexity of alcohol as a commodity, and on why legislating about it has been, and remains, remarkably difficult. Producer: Mark Whitaker A Square Dog production for BBC Radio 4.