A controversial drinking binge

A mass drinking bout planned in Zürich for the end of August by a 17-year-old apprentice is causing a stir in Switzerland. Thousands of prospective bingers have announced their participation over the Internet, and the city's sanitation department is considering banning the event. "Why is this curious idea upsetting people at all?" asks Der Tagesanzeiger newspaper. "The provocation lies in its senselessness. All intellectual explanation has been avoided, and in this over-commercialised event-driven world the invitation has been reduced to the core: guzzling alcohol. ... A ban would be the wrong reaction. One must not overreact in the face of provocation. But both the public and the authorities must self-critically observe what really transpires at this mass booze-up - and if need be intervene. Noise and dirt have long been not just a problem caused by senseless binge drinkers, but by a society part of which has abandoned all pretence of politeness and style. This reality cannot be be dispelled by the police."

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