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DRINKING CULTURE

We all love a couple of pints but when two drinks turn into twelve, it's time to ask if the cheap drinks revolution has gone too far.

You know the scene well. It's Thursday night and you've had a few beers too many.

Everyone's drinking and the city centre is buzzing, mostly fuelled by cheap alcohol.

Not everybody's happy with the 24 hour party atmosphere which often goes hand-in-hand with drunkeness, anti-social behaviour, and excessive binge drinking.

Drink, drink, drink ...

Sunderland has always had a reputation as a hard drinking city.

Drinking Sunderland style

These days it's no different except that cheap drinks are commonplace, thanks to an explosion in the number of pubs and a price war between bars.

Recently there's been a relaxation in licensing with 21 new licences being granted, many for new-style cafe bars.

Not everybody thinks that it's a good idea, and some are concerned about increasing violence and rowdiness.

Northumbria Police say that the number of arrests for drunken and disorderly behaviour hasn't increased in five years.

But the ambulance service have a different story. They say that their drink-related call outs have gone up.

Divided opinion

Opinions are strongly divided on the upside and downside of the price war phenomena.

Some bar managers argue that Sunderland needs to have cheap drinks and special deals to compete with neighbouring Newcastle.

The city loses 30% of its potential customers to Tyneside's vibrant bar and club scene every week.

Others stress the need to make Sunderland more welcoming to everyone and to get a balance between bars and a better range of nightlife attractions.

Beer drinking facts

• Britain is still mainly a beer drinking country. In 2000, 3/5 of alcohol consumed was beer.
• Women drink less beer but more wine, spirits and alcopops than men.
• As well as cheap beer, many bars in Sunderland offer two for the price of one drinks, cheap cocktails, free wine and other deals to entice customers.
• Sunderland has over 50 pubs.
• Many of Sunderland's new bars and pubs are located on High Street West near the Empire Theatre.
• Sunderland isn't alone in offering cheap drinks in its bars. Many bars around the region have happy hours, cheap nights and special offers mid-week.
• Many British towns are exploring the idea of 24 hour cities with bars being late throughout the night and extended opening times.
• Beer drinking dates back to 3,000 years before Christ. In Babylon, Egypt and Mesopotamia, the ancients grew grain to make beer.
• The brewing industry came into its own in the 11th century onwards with the use of hops.