Much of the discussion surrounding alcohol in Britain these days is linked to either public health or crime. Boozing, it seems, can only be viewed as a threat to our livers or the fuel for public disorder.

In 2011, for example, Dr Vivienne Nathanson of the British Medical Association declared that ‘we have to start denormalising alcohol’ in the interests of our health. Town centres are heavily policed lest boozed-up young people engage in antisocial behaviour, and there are constant complaints about the pressure placed on Accident & Emergency departments by inebriated revellers who hurt themselves or get hurt by others. Yet all the recent figures suggest serious crime is falling. So, too, is the amount people are drinking, with the rate of ‘binge drinking’ falling from 18 per cent to 15 per cent since 2005. Young people in particular seem to be drinking less – or even giving up drink altogether, with the proportion of teetotal young adults rising from 19 per cent in 2005 to 27 per cent in 2013. Nonetheless, some commentators still insist that alcohol-related crime as is a major menace to our society.

Yet is the decline of drinking really something to be celebrated? Some might suggest on the contrary that the relaxation and fun that alcohol can enable are things worth defending. Drinking alcohol is among the most enduring shared experiences in most cultures. From Plato’s Symposium onwards, we have often celebrated, consoled, danced and even philosophised (to better or worse effect) with wine and other drinks. Yet the pleasures of alcohol are rarely discussed when we discuss its harms.

Why then are young people drinking less today than ever before? Is it a progressive step that reflects the autonomy of young adults, boldly and confidently making choices? Or is it part of a broader disdain for the idea of experimenting with new experiences, of interacting with other people of other generations and learning to know one’s limits? At a time when tobacco is almost universally condemned, should alcohol face the same rap and be banned in public places? Whatever the reasons for the decline, should we celebrate a more sober society that is healthier and safer, or lament the rise of a new puritanism?