The idea
The british pub is a dieing breed and this is truely an upsetting thing for most of us. I believe it is due to supermarkets and off licences selling there alcohol at such cheap prices. You can get 30 cans of beer for less than 50p a can and the pubs can not compete with that. There needs to be some kind of change to the price the supermarkets can sell there alcohol at.
Pubs also have to deal with the smoking ban. While i agree with the ban for places serving food is it really necessary for the local pub that doesnt serve food and pubs that want the ban can still ban smoking on there premises.
There is also a problem with the extortionate rents that the pub cos are charging along with the price of the barrels the sell to the pubs as the prices are going up and up as small pub takings are plummeting.
Why is it important?
the british boozer is a Great British past time and i dont want to lose it.
With the pubs having to sell there beer so expensive and the supermarkets selling it so cheap there is of course more drinking and smoking at home. I feel this is detrimental to families who are doing this as kids are subjected to smoke and alcohol a lot more they will consider it the norm. I know its not the only cause but im sure some loutish behaviour is due to this. Kids are very impressionable.
When pubs were busy there was a great feeling of community spirit. In my home town it would take me 15 minuets to walk to the shop 200 meters away as i would always find some one to stop and have a chat with on the way and of course i would know this person from socialising with them at the pub.
I do not fear pubs being a haven for alcoholics as i feel it is more dangerous for them to drink at home alone unsupervised and not speaking to anyone. Atleast if they were around other people some times they could be looked out for and helped if needed. (see point on community spirit).
They are businesses and we need the small ones more than ever even it is just employing one person that is one less person at the dole office.
Alot of the older generation only socialised at the pub but with the smoking ban a lot refused to go anymore. It was a shame to hear of old locals form my regular pub dieing not having seen there friends or doing something they enjoyed in there final years.