Binge drinking to blame for half of all UK violence

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24-hour drinking has increased the number of drink-fuelled brawls

More than half of all violence in the UK is fuelled by binge drinking, alarming research has revealed.

The Department of Health-backed study is the latest proof that Labour's relaxed attitude to alcohol is having devastating consequences on society.

It follows revelations that almost a quarter of people believe their lives are being blighted by drunks fighting, vomiting and urinating in the streets or threatening them.

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At last, the truth: Binge drinkers are blighting our lives

The latest study, carried out by academics, found that heavy and binge-drinking is the root cause of 56 per cent of all fights and violence in the UK.

Worryingly, the true figure could be even higher, as it is thought many people would have been too embarrassed to own up to the true extent of their drinking - and its effect on their behaviour.

It was also completed before the introduction of 24-hour drinking in November last year by Labour, which is certain to have increased the number of drink-fuelled brawls on town centre streets.

The University of London study looked at the link between alcohol, drugs and psychiatric problems and violence.

More than 8,000 men and women aged between 16 and 74 years old were surveyed, with questions including 'Have you been a physical fight, assaulted or deliberately hit anyone in the past five years?'.

One in eight had been involved in some sort of violence - a level comparable with some parts of New York.

Men were more likely to get into brawls than women, with young, single men the worst offenders.

However, when alcohol was added into the equation, women were more likely to be violent than men, reinforcing other studies which have shown a surge in the number of binge-drinking 'ladettes.'

Overall, heavy and binge-drinking men and women were two and a half times more likely to get into a fight, while alcoholics were almost three times more likely to be involved in violence.

Heavy and binge drinking was blamed for 56 per cent of the violence in the UK.

In contrast, drug use and psychiatric problems each accounted for just 15 per cent, the survey, which was conducted in the year 2000, found.

Researcher Dr Min (CORR) Yang, of the University of London's Queen Mary College, said if drinking stopped, violent behaviour in Britain would almost immediately be cut by half.

Writing in the American Journal of Epidemiology earlier this month (OCT), she said levels violence in the UK are on a par with those in the predominately working class Upper Manhattan area of New York.

Soaring numbers of bars in built-up areas, changes to licensing laws and cheap drinks promotions have all contributed to the high levels of violence.

Dr Min, an expert in medical statistics, said: 'Alcohol misuse and its relation to violence, particularly binge-drinking, have generated increasing public and political concern in the UK following a marked increase in premises selling alcohol over the past 25 years and legislative changes relaxing the selling of alcohol.

'Research into alcohol-related disorder highlights the concentration of violent and public order offences in urban areas with high densities of licensed premises that peak at weekends.'

She added that 'an inherent culture of binge-drinking' had compounded the problem.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: 'Given this alarming research it absolutely beggars belief that the Government was happy to simply unleash 24-hour drinking on our towns and communities.

'How much longer must the public pay they very high price of this Government's startling incompetence.'

Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Don Foster said: 'There needs to be much more work done on tackling the underlying problem. For example preventing the two for one, very, very cheap drinks offers that are widely available, not just in pubs and clubs but in supermarkets.'

On Friday, the Daily Mail revealed the Home Office's own study on anti-social behaviour had found 22 per cent of people say public drunkenness and rowdiness is now a big problem in their lives.

It unearthed huge anxiety drunks urinating and vomiting in the streets, and of law-abiding members of the public being afraid to go out at night for fear of being assaulted or intimidated.

The study admitted: 'There have been significant increases in the proportion of people perceiving people being drunk or rowdy in public places.'

A string of other studies have clearly shown the devastating effects of Britain's addiction to alcohol.

Figures from the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University showed that 367,000 violent attacks a year are directly attributable to drinking.

The number of women needing hospital treatment after binge-drinking has doubled in five years.

 

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