Here we go again!

Tom Taylor-Duxbury, Ludlow, UK

The fun Police strike again, what a sad little country we are becoming, all because of a few. The Govenment penalise the majority with knee jerk reactions, because they can't deliver a workable solution.

Martin, Blandford Forum, UK

It would be easier to have a set of laws to tell us what we *must* do - everything else being deemed illegal. I take it that would be the Govt's ideal.

Graham Rounce, London, UK

dr ian gilmore makes the same statements about booze as the other dr gilmore made about smoking but she works for ASH the gilmores won,t be happy til every pub is closed down who runs this country the government or the gilmores the sound of the health nazis jackboots is getting louder

ricey, halifax, england

How about abolishing free drinks for ministers, Minister?

And while you're at it, why notabolish all the other free things you get as well?

Robert, Hull, UK

Just have to buy your drinks from a supermarket and take them home to drink. Does this ruling apply to the House of Lords?

jane, WHITTLESEY, United Kingdom

When are these people going to butt out of my life?
It seems I can't smoke, drink or eat what and when I like without one of these holier-than-thou tosspots involving themselves.
Get out of my life!!!

colin, london, englanistan

Labour interfering in our lives AGAIN!

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

So to work in a bar you will now have to be qualified eh? Who's going to be making money out of that I wonder!?

One step closer to prohibition guys....what is happening to this country!

Jane, Southend,

There are sex-discrimination laws supposedly to prevent men being charged for what women get free. If the situation was the reverse it would have caused huge outrage years ago.
Men should demand the same free drinks as women and pursue legal remedy.
[Steve Moxon is author of the Woman Racket]

steve moxon, Sheffield,

I dont see how these reforms will hamper anyone looking to have a sensible drink the slightest way. People should stop moaning about everything.

I am currently avoiding alcohol but visit bar's regularly. Being told that its more expensive for a soft drink than a soft drink and vodka gets old, fast.

Alan, Motherwell, UK

Why are they banning free drinks for women but not for men? Isn't that a bit sexist - and against the law? Section 29 of the 1975 UK Sex Discrimination Act clearly states that it is an offence to treat customers less favourably purely on the basis of gender. What about politicians' free booze?

Katie, Newport, Wales

Why is this made so complicated? Why not just prosecute drunks? The laws are already there.

Pat.R, Cwll,

Do you Brits live in a democracy? Why don't they just ban it altogether and be done with it.

Frank Daniels, st louis, USA

Insane! Do they want a revolution because, seriously, its brewing. People are absolutely livid with this so called government's constant encroachment on freedom of choice and self determination. Specs3, Iraq, rampant taxation, fuel prices kept artificially high, top up fees, ID cards etc etc etc.

Chris, Notts,

A small step in the right direction, but the drink problem in Britain is so severe that we should be looking at Scandinavian measures, where a pint can cost around £7. We could look to curtail the expansion of chain pubs, which threaten brewery margins, the rest would have to be taxation.

James Brown, London, UK

Oh come one! If this true, what right do the government have to stop me from having a drink just because a couple of idiots can't hold their drink!

Sarah, Belfast, Northern Ireland,

But they are still too afraid of losing tax by increasing the drinking age to 21!! Hypocritical to say the least.

Rod Garr, Miami, USA

Yeah...this will work. Good one government. No one will drink anymore if you scare them out of it. Yay. Repression IS the best way. George Orwell showed us exactly how. Wooo

James, Leeds, UK

So should we assume that the supermarkets, where alcohol is cheaper than water, will escape any regulation AGAIN? Excellent! Until the last pub or bar closes down/goes bust, which will not take long, and then we will all drink in bus shelters - covered in health warnings of course.

Katarina, Manchester,

As the labour government have just about ruined everything possible in the past 10 years, why not ruin the laws on alcohol. The nanny state rules, be told what to do and when to do it, thank God I no longer live there, or pay tax there or have to suffer the post Blair carnage.

Simon, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

At last! Something where more regulation is actually due gets to be regulated. I sympathise with the comments of other readers about "nanny state" etc. — but this is one area where that critique is just wrong. The alcohol problem in UK is way out of hand, and is making everyone's lives a misery.

Meic Pearse, Houghton, U.S.A. (ex-pat Brit)

Good, if people can't be sensible with their drink the law should be there to stop them. For 99% of drinkers, these new regulations won't affect us a bit.

I'm surprised the "free entry and drinks for girls" weren't banned far earlier - surely under sex discrimination? Double standards and such.

Howard, Manchester,

The Licensing Act 2003 already includes the offences of Sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk, Obtaining alcohol for a person who is drunk and Allowing disorderly conduct on licensed premises. These can be used but arent. Please not more certificates and more posters...

Julian P, Singapore, UK / Singapore

Absolute rubbish. Once again the Government believes it can end an endemic problem through overregulation, when a more relaxed and less-demonised attutude to alcohol is required. Moreover, how can one "flout" a voluntary code? Surely this is merely exercising one's right not to adopt it.

Matt, Edinburgh, UK

i hate living in this country, the nanny state is taking over every aspect of everyone's life, id nulabor ar'nt taxing it there banning it, it just gets worse and worse.....

eric pisch, swanley,