When I was young,and first drinking (I was born in 1923) there were (believe it or not) very few drunks.
This was for several reasons:~
It was socially frowned on to be that drunk.
People(well in my social class) couldn't afford to drink much,given the low wages they got.(even though beer was not expensive)
Drinking hours were shorter then,many pubs closed at 10.00pm(9.30 on Sundays).
The main reason was family.A working man might go to the pub after work for an hour,but woe betide him if he was lated for his tea/supper!
or he might go after dinner for about an hour or two,again the wife would expect him in at a certain time!
Working class men did not (usually) drink at their midday dinner break,mainly because pubs were excluded from being opened near large factories,and because employers could (and did) sack men for having alcohol on their breath.
In my youth,if a copper thought someone was drunk they made his mate take him home,if he was abusive he spent the night in a cell sobering up.