previous bans have been the Commons making a law on the back of ACMD recommendations (which then go to the Home Office) but there is no compulsion on the House of Commons for them to do this. They could equally do this on the advice of a Home Office minister who ignores any ACMD advice.
Also though it might not seem like it if you buy alcohol mostly via a supermarket (where it is cheap and widely available once you’ve shown valid age ID) there have been more and more restrictions in the last 30 or so years (I rarely drink nowadays but went through a stage of heavy drinking). For one thing I get carded for age ID more often in my 40s than I did in my teens (in spite of British society becoming more multicultural in the ensuing years and it being well known that folk of my ancestry often look younger than their real ages); and when the drinking is part of a night out there are way more costs added on to it due to licensing fees.
That happens elsewhere in the EU; the same amount of Euros that would only buy you 2 or 3 small glasses of beer in a café or bar would allow you to to buy a crate of beer in NL and drink it at home or with friends listening to the pirate radio station (which is why the old guys set up the pirate stations).
its not even the govt tolerating alcohol and having a good time with loud music in a party atmosphere but nudging you to sit at home and drink alone or end up arguing with your partners/housemates (which happens loads but the cops are now all set up to deal with this relatively low level trouble very quickly and efficiently; as most people don’t want to get nicked in their home area compared to the more anonymous city nightlife region)
