Clarkson: Pub Prices Driving Young Drinkers Towards Drugs

Broadcaster and pub owner Jeremy Clarkson has reignited debate over the cost of a night out, arguing in his Sunday newspaper column that high pub prices are pushing younger drinkers towards illegal drugs instead of alcohol.

The comments follow new data showing that, for the first time on record, more UK motorists were caught last year driving with illegal drugs in their system than over the legal drink-drive limit.

Clarkson noted that drivers aged 17 to 24 make up only a small fraction of all licence holders yet account for a disproportionately high share of road traffic offences. Using his characteristically provocative style, he suggested — while acknowledging he was exaggerating for effect — that the figures could imply drug use among young drivers is far more widespread than official testing captures, partly because roadside checks cannot detect every substance.

The former Top Gear presenter, who now owns a pub and a brewery, argued that the combination of rising alcohol prices and the increased availability of illegal drugs has changed drinking habits among younger generations. He recalled that in his own youth, drugs were far harder to come by, whereas today he believes distribution networks have become so efficient that they rival same-day retail delivery services.

Comparing the price of a pint with that of cannabis, Clarkson suggested many young people are opting for the cheaper alternative — and that, increasingly, this is not beer. He argued that buying drugs has in some cases become quicker and easier than accessing legitimate goods or services, while the cost of a round in the pub continues to climb, with pint prices hitting record highs in parts of the country.

He referenced existing research indicating a growing number of 16 to 24-year-olds are choosing not to drink at all, suggesting this trend could continue if the price gap between alcohol and illegal drugs persists.

Clarkson said he would much prefer to see young people socialising over a pint in their local rather than turning to drugs, and used the column to renew calls for policymakers to examine whether legalising and taxing certain substances might undercut criminal supply chains while raising revenue for the Treasury.

He was careful to stress, however, that this was not an endorsement of drug use — saying he personally dislikes cannabis — and raised serious concerns about the dangers of drug-driving compared with drink-driving, suggesting the former poses a significantly greater risk to other road users.

‘I don’t want to belittle either offence but when I’m driving along, it’s a worry if the person going the other way has had two pints. But if he’s had two grams, that’s absolutely terrifying,’ he said.