PM to take action on scandal of alcohol abuse

The Prime Minister has spoken of his determination to confront Britain’s binge drinking culture.

David Cameron said the increase in the number of excessive drinkers was “frightening” as he said that alcohol abuse had become “one of the scandals of our society”.

Britain’s heavy drinking culture is estimated to cost the NHS more than £2.7bn each year.

Mr Cameron plans to introduce US-style “drunk tanks” to towns to provide a space for inebriated people to sober up.

More police on patrol in hospital A&E departments and “booze buses” staffed by paramedics are some of the “innovative solutions” Britain needs to deal with the problem, he said.

“Every night, in town centres, hospitals and police stations across the country, people have to cope with the consequences of alcohol abuse. And the problem is getting worse,” he said.

“Over the last decade we’ve seen a frightening growth in the number of people – many under-age – who think it’s acceptable for people to get drunk in public in ways that wreck lives, spread fear and increase crime.

“This is one of the scandals of our society and I am determined to deal with it.”

He called upon the drinks industry, supermarkets, pubs and clubs to work with the Government “so that responsible drinking becomes a reality and not just a slogan”.

Churches wrote to the Prime Minister earlier in the month calling on him to introduce a minimum price on alcohol units, saying it was a “key determinant” in problem drinking.

“We have seen the effects of cheap, strong drink on our streets, in our hospitals and police stations,” they said.

“It is in local communities that the damage caused by alcohol misuse is felt most deeply, particularly disadvantaged communities, which continue to suffer disproportionately from alcohol-related harms.”

A YouGov poll commissioned by the Methodist Church last November found widespread concern about drinking levels in Britain, with 61% of adults saying that excessive drinking was a problem in their neighbourhood.