Drinking crackdown to be unveiled

The Government will publish a new version of its alcohol strategy which is due to focus on encouraging drinkers to take responsibility for their boozing.

It is due to set out plans to reduce binge drinking among young people and to prevent under 18s getting involved with alcohol.

A third strand of the strategy will also focus on educating older people who may be drinking to unsafe levels at home.

Published four years after the first alcohol strategy, the paper has been compiled by the Home Office and the Department of Health.

A Home Office spokesman said: "What it is going to be looking at is three broad-based groups.

"That includes underage drinkers, binge drinkers and slightly older stay-at-home drinkers who may not know what damage they are doing to themselves."

The link between promotions of alcohol by brewers and retailers is expected to come under the spotlight.

The British Medical Association has called for alcohol advertising to be banned because of rising levels of binge drinking.

Other suggestions likely to form part of the document include increases to health warnings, changes to labelling and moves to tackle drink-related violence.