News In Depth
- 15 February 2012, 10:38
PM vows to tackle booze Britain
David Cameron has declared war on booze Britain during a visit to a hospital.
The Prime Minister pledged to tackle the growing "scandal" of alcohol-fuelled disorder when he met doctors, nurses, paramedics and local police at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle to highlight the cost of alcohol to the NHS.
He toured the hospital - which has a policeman on duty every Thursday and Friday night to handle incidents of drunken disorder on the wards - with matron Angela McNab and paramedic Paul Fell.
Mr Cameron said: "The facts are pretty stark.
"Alcohol costs the NHS almost ?3 billion a year; that is a cost of ?90 to every taxpayer.
"This has a huge impact on the NHS and a huge impact on accident and emergency which every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night are overrun by people who are drunk and incapable.
"We need to do more to tackle this problem.
"We are going to look at the issue of alcohol pricing. I'm quite convinced there is deep discounting of alcohol in supermarkets and convenience stores and that it is causing part of the problem.
"We need to take action right across the board. I want to make sure local councils have the power to close down bars that are causing a problem and that police can step in if they need to because it is against the law to sell to people who are drunk or underage.
"We also need to look at the issue of pricing. This is a national problem."
Figures today show an ever-growing bill for the NHS, which currently stands at ?2.7 billion a year - including ?1 billion on accident and emergency services.
That equates to ?90 for every taxpayer, while the wider cost to society of alcohol abuse is estimated to be between ?17 billion and ?22 billion.
In the last year there were 200,000 hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions, while the number of people treated for extreme drunkenness more than doubled to 18,500.
In the North East, alcohol-related deaths have tripled in the last two decades.
Every 18 hours, one person dies in the North East from alcohol-related illnesses.
Mr Cameron is known to be attratced to proposals under which the sale of alcohol below between 40p and 50p a unit would be banned.
The Prime Minister is examining Scottish moves to outlaw its sale below 45p a unit, as well as a plan to link taxes on drinks to their strength.
what do you think?
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Edgar Beckett
You could have said that about cigarettes.
james mcbride
overpopulation is the problem. we have too many ppl in the uk. ppl have always got drunk. welfare and social security mean ppl have babies for payouts. the system can't cope be it sewage works, transport, schools, etc. we have 70 million population in the uk so it is obvious the prisons, police stations can't cope. we have similar if not more police stations now that before. it is overpopulation and the benefits system encourages ppl to breed. ppl have always got drunk.
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Richard Maitland
cameron will just put up the price of drink so his big business buddies get more profit, and still leave the public to pick up the bill for dealing with drunks.
Lee Bennett
wouldn't it be be good if just for once this idiot said something like " i aim to tackle the 3 million unemployed problem " or " lets try and tackle zero growth" or " how about " lets tackle the problem of sky high fuel bills!" But NO all we get from this clueless muppet is "lets give tax breaks to people who can afford cleaners" or "lets tax the working man even more under the guise that its going to stop binge drinking ".Utter rubbish if you believe that tosh then god help you ,THis man could not run a bath let alone a country.Exactly the response you would expect from an excuse oof a man born with so many silver spoons in his gob he could be mistaken for a canteen of cutlery.Not on this planet.
Joan Holmes
Perhaps you have such a big chip of envy on your shoulder you cannot see round it. The reason we cannot kick these people out or stop their benefits or even tackle the sky high bills is because we are controlled from Brussels NOT Westminster. We cannot even send back an alleged dangerous terriorist to his black hole of a country.
Lee Bennett
Joan you are clueless dear.
nashy1964
this guy has lost the plot why doesnt he stop benefits for immigrants and stop free medical for immigrants and round up all the illegals in our country and get rid of them that alone would save tens of billions of tax payers money. if we went to other countries we wouldnt get all that hell no so why do we allow it here simple answer is we got backhanded spineless leaders who have been bribed up the yazoo. booze britain my rectum another government farce.
james mcbride
what a fool cameron is. alcohol costs the nhs 3billion a year, the duty and jobs employed in the bar/hotel/club trade exceeds that figure. what does he expect everyone to do? mp's wages and expenses are paid out of duty. the trick is to have fewer articles and tv programmes like binged up brits, that encourage and normalise wasted people. alcoholic beverages are britains 2nd biggest export to the usa whisky for example, probably why he is worried about an independant scotland.
james mcbride
if he thinks the uk is bad for drinking go to ukraine and russia. putin has the right policy cut duty on ciggies and booze and tell population "drink you way out of economic depression" the duty pays the debt. ppl are culled early and there are fewer people in the economy to house, employ, look after. if people drink themselves to death so be it. un data russia's population has fallen sharply 120 million. in a day of automation where far fewer ppl needed in workplace that is sensible policy. get rid of nanny state mentality.
Paul Lindsley
Personaly the reasons for this are not the price of alchohol ?? Mr Cameron needs to look at the "Big Picture" to see why people do this, because they are depressed with life and its a way of making a statement. People are sick of the "Gloom andd Doom" and paying out the bills and having little or no prospects in life except getting smashed every week. So much for the PM,s great ways to tackle a sensitive issue? We have had smoking now its achohol abuse ? What about stress? Such a wonderful life for some its a nightmare! This has been going on for years without any government looking at the problem in any effective manner , if people need to drink this much then why? Thats the issue not the price of the booze, of course thats too simple?
George Clement
When Cameron starts his war on booze he wants to use his we're in it together policy and close down the bars at Westminster, those at public schools such as Eton and at the Universities before making war on the General Public.
james mcbride
it is not the cost of booze atall raising duty on booze will have a negative effect in govt coffers. in russia, sweden,poland ppl distill their own with kits off that famouse on-line auction site. a distiller for water can be had for 120quid made in china.a few adjustments and bingo cheap wodca and more probs. the trick is to keep ppl busy, adjust benefits and welfare so alcoholism like obesity is not recognised as a disease but self inflicted.if ppl drink themselves to death far fewer ppl to look after. we are overpopulated.
Joan Holmes
People who get drunk and cause damage to themselves, others or property should be made to pay. If drunks end up in some sort of holding pen until they are fit they should pay a fee. All medical treatment should be charged for if it is due to alcohol abuse. That is the only way to stop it and anyway why should folk who just like a social drink end up having to pay a lot more.
robert
Go back in time with the licencing laws wher pubs and clubs close at 10 30 pm monday to saturday and 10 00pm on sunday.All shops (including supermarkets} will close at 5 00pm,garages close at 6 00pm and the last bus to leave town at 11 45pm.ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Sharon Nantyglo Rfc Smith
alcohol in supermarkets etc is too cheap and its putting responsible clubs and pubs out of business,i serve mainly pensioners on a monday and wednesday,that may be the only time they leave their homes and socially interact all week and due to constant price hikes many can no longer afford to do this....sad,especially thru winter months....
Fred Stuart
Another fine speach written for Cameron the gob. If he actually meant it then I'd be willing to support him. However, like everything else he has promised since he got in, hes delivered NOTHING. But why should he care, multi millionaire, or will be when hes finished messing up the country. He will become Lord Cameron of some bog in the middle of England, claim expenses from the tax payer untill he dies and write a book. Sound familiar? The country is in one unholy mess and theres no way out unless your rich it would appear. the poor are destined to become even poorer, Cameron and the likes will become richer. is this fair Cameron? Its actually scary to think there is no way out of this mess.
gypsy56
Cameron cannot afford for people to stop drinking - he would lose billions in revenue each year; this is the same reason there is no crackdown on cigarettes sales - just what would he increase to make good the shortfall. Petrol will shortly be priced beyond most peoples pockets so that will also means billions less coming in each year. The only things he'd have left to bring in the coffers would be gas, electric, food and water. An intoxicated population is easier to control!
Windows Live User
Cameron - One thing at a time. Fix the unemployment first then get onto the booze You have a zillion unfinished promises left behind you
Fred Spoons
Have you seen the 5.5% alcahol content bottles of wine that are hitting the streets? Same price as wine at 11 -13% but less tax and more profit to resellers. Don't say I'm cynical about the drinks industry "doing their bit". How about bringing back the old licencing hours' all out at 11pm instead of 4am?
sociogirl
Surely if someone is so drunk to injure themselves they are too drunk to be treated. Make them responsible for their own wounds and injuries.
IRONSTINE
10:59am on 15/2/2012
This isn't a responsible persons attitude to the north,any caring politician would tackle job creation,not lecture on the well known demon drink,Mr Cameron has a poor P R.
james mcbride
12:57pm on 15/2/2012
if they tax alcohol anymore ppl will do like in sweden, russia, poland brew their own and avoid tax. you can buy kits on ebay. we are overpopulated. d rockerfella got that one right in his speech years ago.benefits in uk has lead to overpopulation aswell as immigration and systems can't cope. ref last week hour long waits on underground. the systems can't cope, ppl are breeding at too great a levels. years ago you needed licence for a dog yet you could have 10 kids. time to reverse that. it is not ppl right to have a kid.