Christmas binge-drinking blitz starts

Friday, 17 December 2004 12:00 AM

Police forces around the country are today warning Christmas revellers to behave - or face a £80 fine.

In a follow up to the summer crackdown on binge-drinking, anti-social behaviour and under-age drinking, police will today begin a Christmas enforcement campaign.

Running until January 3rd, this campaign will be twice the size of the summer's - as every force in England and Wales is taking part.

Launching the new initiative, Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said: "Christmas is a time when people should be able to have a few drinks and enjoy themselves, but that should not be an excuse for violent and anti-social behaviour by a minority, spoiling enjoyment for everyone else. The Government is determined to tackle alcohol-fuelled disorder and violence, helping to build safer and more secure communities."

She added that the summer campaign had worked, with levels of violence dropping and some in the alcohol industry reviewing polices. "But we are not complacent, we know there are still widespread and serious problems. That is why even more police forces and their local partners will be taking part in the second phase of the campaign, focusing on tackling underage drinking and on ensuring that town centres are not turned into no-go-zones on Friday and Saturday nights."

Licensing Minister Richard Caborn said the Government was determined to act on both the industry and the drinkers: "The drinks industry know we mean business. And there are encouraging signs that they are getting their house in order - with breweries and bars scrapping irresponsible drinks promotions, new health warnings on bottles of booze and free soft drinks for drivers. They are to be congratulated.

"But we must also reach drinkers. The message is stark and simple - if you brawl in the street, urinate in a doorway or are sick in the curb, you could be slapped with a £80 fine. We're not messing around - we want decent, law abiding people to be able to get home safely from their Christmas and New Years parties."

The enforcement exercise begins on the same day that the British Medical Association has called on the Government to amend the Road Safety Bill to lower the permitted level of alcohol in the blood for driving. It wants the concentration lowered from 80mg to 50mn per 100ml - a move it claims could prevent 50 drink-driving related deaths a year.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's head of science and ethics, said today: "It's too late to change the law for this Christmas but let's make future seasons of goodwill safer for everyone.

"While the BMA believes that a further reduction in blood alcohol concentration levels will prevent deaths and reduce the number of lives ruined, our overall message to drivers is 'don't drink when you drive'.

"The introduction of the current limit, backed up by police enforcement and TV and media education campaigns, led to a dramatic fall in the number of deaths on the road, but over the past few years, deaths and serious injuries from drink-driving have increased. We need a new impetus to reduce the toll of death and injury."

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