In the 1980's it was "Lager-louts".
In the 1990's it was "Alcopop-teens".
In the 2000's it was "Binge-drinkers".
The results of Thursdays meeting of the ministry of the nanny-state show a clear vote for the term "Cider-slurpers" to be the headline for every scare story about alcohol for the next decade. Professor of media stereotypes, Michael Mills from Manchester Metropolitan University said that this new term is ideal as it covers both those who sit on park benches with a plastic bottle full of stong white cider and those who have one or two trendy ciders over ice with their friends in the pub after work.
This new phrase is likely to become a new buzz-word and the news broadcasters have already issued instructions and commisioned new graphics for all news programmes with the instructions that they be used on any slow news day. They will be accompanied by scary statistics and a patronising tone suggesting that we should have an attitude to alcohol "more like the european cafe culture". Reassuring pictures of nice friendly elderly French or Spanish men enjoying a sensible glass of wine have also been distributed to help hammer the point home.
