Alcohol, feminism and freedom

Thursday November 6, 2008

The government’s alcohol strategy is meddling, misogynistic and a million miles from the reality of the way we socialise, argues Suzy Dean

Since when have women not been able to make up their minds whether to accept a drink or not? Proposed government policy aimed at reducing the amount of alcohol that women in particular drink suggests that it should be illegal for bars to give women free drinks, that restaurants and bars should serve wine in glasses with clear marks to show the volumes being consumed and that happy hour promotions should be curbed.

The government seem to have taken it upon themselves to babysit fully grown women, who they seem to think can’t say ‘no’ to a drink, or indeed gage how much they are drinking.

According to a draft code of conduct for the drinks industry nobody seems to be taking recommended alcohol guidelines very seriously. In response to this, ministers have decided to create new rules to replace the previously voluntary code. In a country where we are told that our binge drinking is out of control, the government is stepping in to take charge.

Perks

This official version of what’s normal is far from normal. Giving a woman a free drink at the bar has long been one of the perks of being a barman and certainly one of the main ways that bars pull the women in. The proposed policy seems to be more about our elites’ opinion that drinking is unhealthy and unpleasant and needs to be discouraged; it is their way of controlling behaviour they dislike and deem inappropriate. After all, there was no call from women, or the public more generally, to curb the fact that free alcoholic drinks are used as a promotional tool.

Not only are the recommendations in the report redefining socially acceptable behaviour, they are thoroughly patronising to women, assuming that women need to have the guidance of officials to control and moderate what they drink. The sexist idea that women need help in determining this treats them much like children, who need the watchful eye of government to keep an eye on them.

Celebrating

We should be celebrating the fact that women have more free time and disposable income. Furthermore, we should be glad of the fact that women can drink alongside men in pubs and bars. As equality of the sexes improves we should shun these new policies as they institutionalise and reinforce the idea that women are somehow brainless and unable to take a conscious decision to get drunk or not.

Far from being a ‘safe, sensible, social’ programme, the government’s alcohol strategy is meddling, misogynistic and a million miles from the reality of the way we socialise. Despite what politicians think, we do not need a regulatory code to be responsible citizens. We should join the drinks industry in telling the government to butt out of our pubs and make a stand for true civility, where rules are based around the desires and morals of free citizens rather than the whims of officials.

Suzy Dean is a writer and journalist and co-organiser of the Manifesto Club

Event
The Manifesto Club will be running an event ‘Free the Streets’ on Thursday 13th November at the Evangelist Bar in London. See Manifesto Club for more details.