Venture out into most big towns or cities on a weekend after 7pm, and you shall witness more flesh and public drunkenness than is needed to convince you that "getting lashed" (drunk) is now normal for the young and not so young. Its not only normal, its almost expected of you. Don't fancy drinking your own body weight in Jagerbombs, then puking half cooked kebabs in shop doorways? Then you sir/madam, are weird!
But it wasn't always like this. Look at that guy encased in a barrel in the sketch up there. Look fun? It was a spiked barrel too, just to make it you know, that much more uncomfortable. "Oh noes! What foul deed did this brigand commit? Murder? Treason?" Well no, this was the penalty for public drunkenness in Elizabethan times. Cool huh? What a sight it would be these days, we would need to chop the entire Amazonian rainforest to keep up with barrels! Our streets on a Friday night would be like the "Night of the Wooden Daleks".
Interesting how with the passing of time, our attitude towards alcohol can change. We are constantly evolving (and devolving in some instances) to suit the times.
