When I started work back in the late eighties, it was a common thing to finish up on a Friday and go drinking straight from work, then town on a Saturday night. While growing up, there was a determination to try alcohol, and it was a given that when I reached the legal age, I was going on an almighty piss up. In truth, I hated it, couldn't handle alcohol, was nearly always sick and wasn't particularly keen on the atmosphere that surrounded heavy drinking, yet nobody ever told me that I didn't have to drink, there was an option, it was a given.

I have two kids that have reached adulthood, one of them isn't interested in drinking, and the other may have one or two drinks when she goes out, which isn't that often, and never comes home drunk. I also know other young adults who don't bother with it. It seems like the culture of heavy drinking amongst the younger generation is diminishing, the only pissheads I know, or those who relay on alcohol are 40 up, with a special mention for my parents generation 60-70 where everything seems to end in a drink. I'm not against alcohol, everything in moderation, although I think it's quite a nice thing that the younger generation seems more at ease with not following cultural pressure-maybe it doesn't exist anymore-and it's not a given that they're going to get blasted every weekend. Maybe it's because they have better things to do, the reliance on heavy industry is almost at and end in south wales, working practices have changed as has the roll of a father. Like I said, I never really felt that I had a choice, things have changed and in my opinion it's a good thing.