Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken out about plans to tackle the binge drinkers costing the NHS £2.7b a year. Later this year ministers will publish an alcohol strategy for England which is likely to include minimum prices for drink as will become law in Scotland this summer.
Other plans to curb the “scandal” of alcohol abuse include the introduction 
of “drunk tanks” whereby drunk people are admitted to police cells and housed overnight while they sober up. Whilst the government appreciates that the changes will affect responsible drinkers, the actions of irresponsible drinkers are costing the average taxpayer £90 a year. Mr Cameron is calling on supermarkets and pubs to collaborate with the government to ensure that “responsible drinking becomes a reality and not just a slogan.”
Alcohol-related hospital admissions increased by 40% from 2003 to 2011 with 200,000 admissions from 2010–2011. The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research has found new links between wine and breast cancer.
