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British revellers drink more alcohol than anyone else in Europe, a survey
reveals.
The disturbing findings expose the massive failure of the introduction of
24-hour drinking five years ago.
Ministers predicted new relaxed licensing laws would create a
European-style 'cafe culture'. Instead, they turned town centres into no-go
areas on Friday and Saturday nights.
The study by pollsters Eurobarometer found that while Britons are not
Europe's most frequent drinkers, once we are on a drinking session, we guzzle
more alcohol than anyone else.
Some 12 per cent of Britons admitted to downing more than seven drinks in a
session. For the purposes of the survey, one drink was defined as a single glass
of wine, beer or spirits.
Britain's binge-drinking put it ahead of the likes of Ireland, Finland and
Germany, which have all scored highly in previous alcohol studies, while in
Bulgaria, Greece and Austria, not one person admitted drinking more than seven
drinks in a single session.
Only 20 per cent of Britons said they had consumed no alcohol in the past
12 months, compared to double that figure in Portugal, Italy and Hungary.
A Eurobarometer spokesman added: 'Europe is the region with the highest per
capita alcohol consumption in the world, and Britain tops the league for the
largest volumes drunk in single sessions.'
Home Office figures show crime and disorder caused by binge drinking costs
the taxpayer between £8billion and £13billion a year.
Home Office Minister Alan Campbell announced this month that pub owners who
offered 'all you can drink' promotions could be jailed under laws designed to
curb binge drinking.
From July, pubs and bars will be forced to offer smaller drinking measures
so customers can choose to drink less.
And they will have to ask anyone who looks younger than 18 for
identification before selling them alcohol.
Half of Britons said they drank 'three or four times' a week, compared with
60 per cent of Italians, who said they drank up to two glasses every day of the
week.
The European average is between one and three times a week.
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