There used to be a scheme in towns in the UK whereby police would hand out lollipops to people leaving clubs. Many clubs kick out at the same time (2am), mixing large numbers of drunken people in a small area. Drinking means blood sugar levels drop, which means people get hungry and competitive, and the end result is more often than not a large and violent brawl in the nearest kebab shop. The reasons given for the lollipops were threefold: 1) it helps to return their blood sugar levels, reducing stress; 2) it gives them something to do with their hands (unwrap the lollipop, hold it), other than smashing them into the nearest face; 3) it keeps the noise levels down for the sake of the residents in the area, as your are less likely to yak incessantly at high volume with a delicious ball of sugar in your gob. I'm not sure whether they still have this scheme (maybe there are legal risks? choking? diabetes?) but for a while it existed in several trouble spots in the country.
Well I didn't know the provenance of the writers, but I'd consider the lollipop article mention as some form of corroboration.
I don't care if it saves a thousand drunk/not-drunk women or Eddie Izzard breaking their ankles, it simply is not the job of the police. I much prefer the way things are done in the States, for example in Des Moines, Iowa there's the party bus that takes pub-goers bar-hopping. It's not a cop-initiative.
Oh, hang on, I do care about Eddie Izzard after all!
