"Banning" alcohol consumption on trains and buses

Tony Blair's "respect czar" is urging the PM to outlaw the consumption of alcohol on trains, buses and other forms of public transport.

Louise Casey, the czar in question, is supposedly supported by the police, since incidents of alcohol-fuelled violence on public transport have increased.

Binge drinking certainly should never be outlawed. It's a person's right to put whatever they want into their body and the state possesses no right to force people to do otherwise. With actions come consequences, however. Anyone who binge drinks should do so responsibly and not infringe on rights to the person or property in the process. For binge drinking to be tackled (if it should be tackled), then a cultural shift is needed within Britain. Maybe Blair and his "czar" should consider voluntarily altering attitudes towards alcohol, instead of using governmental force to curb binge drinking.

It should also be private property owners that ban alcohol on their premises, not the state. In the UK, trains are largely operated by private companies. The same applies to buses in many areas.