I don't know about the rest of the world, but a large portion of America bases its beer drinking habits on getting hammered.
The UK is rather notorious for its drinking habits, especially teenagers in smaller towns who set out on an evening with the intention of getting blathered. I'm talking about I-forget-where-I-was-last-night-falling-down-drunk.
The authorities are talking about banning "happy hour". Even sensible drinkers have what they call a "session beer" that has a relatively low alcohol content and can be drunk all night. Fuller's Chiswick Bitter @ 3.5% is a tasty example.
In contrast, I have never seen a drunk in Italy, Spain or France. Well, a chap in a business suit did pester my wife in Troyes one Friday evening. Knocked over a few drinks and surprised a few diners, but at least he was cheerful about it.
Northern Europe is different. I supposed it is the colder climate? So, the governments make alcohol so expensive, you can't afford to get drunk unless you do it at home. Booze is cheaper in Denmark than it is in Sweden, so you get daytrippers from Sweden who come to Denmark on the ferry with the sole intention of getting drunk. Needless to say, they are not very popular with the Danes.
