Cameron forced into UK alcohol scandal

The Prime Minister proposed that interim detention centers known as ‘drunk tanks’ be established in cities and towns to tackle the country’s deteriorating alcohol problem, British media reported.

The ‘drunk tanks’, indigenous to the U.S., is a scheme, in which inebriated people are detained and held until they sober up, according to the reports.

As part of the scheme, drunk people are caught and imprisoned overnight until they sober up, avoiding the need for them to be formally arrested and charged or taken to hospital.

David Cameron described alcohol problem as the “scandal of our society”, which is caused by Britain’s drinking culture and costs the National Health Service (NHS) more than £2.7 billion annually.

He put his weight behind “innovative solutions” such as the US-inspired drunk tanks, more police on patrol in A&E departments and “booze buses” - vehicles staffed with paramedics who help intoxicated revelers.

Cameron is said to be preparing to unveil curbs on excessive consumption of alcohol, as part of the government’s alcohol strategy due to be published next month, which is expected to recommend higher “minimum” prices for drink, potentially by increasing duties on many alcoholic beverages.

“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. 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”, the Prime Minister admitted.

“This is one of the scandals of our society and I am determined to deal with it”, he said.
Official figures show that the cost to the NHS of treating alcohol abuse is about £2.7?billion a year - equivalent to £90 for every taxpayer - including £1?billion on A&E services.

A recent government report estimated that the total cost of alcohol to society, including crime and lost work, was between £17 billion and £22 billion annually.

Last year, there were 200,000 hospital admissions caused primarily by alcohol, a 40 percent rise in the past decade. The number of patients admitted with acute intoxication has more than doubled to 18,500 since 2002-03.