The British have always been big boozers - although they generally cite the Irish as drunks, lol.
I’ve been going to London for years. We stay in the West End. For at least 20 years now (before Amy was born?!) we’ve been stepping over drunken kids on a Saturday night. It’s just what they do.
We don't pass out. We just fight and tell stories. :)
Mardi Gras, college (and even high school) spring break, any bar district that attracts a lot of young people, Frat Row on any college campus, any bar district on New Year's Eve ... it's not like this kind of behavior is unprecedented. It might be cause for concern if it's unusually widespread or severe, but you won't put it in perspective based on a tabloid story.
True. I lived in the south of the UK and used to visit Dublin (not very often) and there is a big different between English drunks (i.e. drunks in England, not necessarily white or English) and Irish drunks -- the Irish drunks are happy, nice people who don't generally thrash the place but sing songs and recite poetry.
The English have a habit of putting false stereotypes on other nationalities -- like I've not met stingy Scotsmen either.