Alan Johnson, Labour’s last Home Secretary has admitted and apologised for his party’s failure to tackle binge drinking during his tenure.  He said:  ‘I regret not doing more to tackle the problems caused by binge drinking during my period in office. The Government is right to stop alcohol being sold below cost price. It’s something we should have done.’  Labour has been condemned for introducing 24-hour drinking (Tony Blair) and reducing alcohol-related taxes by £200million (Gordon Brown).

Johnson’s successor Theresa May has been commended for plans to prohibit shops from selling alcohol below cost price.

Mr Johnson said: ‘I regret not doing more to tackle the problems caused by binge drinking during my period in office. The Government is right to stop alcohol being sold below cost price. It’s something we should have done.’

Well done to Professor Ian Gilmore who has been knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his role in campaigning for measures to tackle alcohol misuse and calling for changes to include a ban on alcohol advertising.

Investigations into the factors behind binge-drinking will be discussed at a free public lecture given by Professor Christine Griffin at the University of Bath this Thursday, looking at young people’s attitudes to alcohol.

Professor Griffin led research which suggests a radical re-thinking of national alcohol policy is required to take into account the social character of alcohol consumption and the identity implications for young people.

“Getting very drunk with friends often insulates young people from viewing their level of alcohol consumption as a potential problem, deepening bonds of friendship and cementing group membership. Campaigns that aim to change young people’s drinking habits need to take the social importance of drinking into account, as well as the pervasive availability of cheap deals on alcohol.

She will be joined by Dr Tess Ridge, from the university’s Department of Social & Policy Sciences, who will present Voices from the Margins: children’s accounts of the impact of poverty on childhood.

As a result of the recent survey carried out in Wales showing 40% of men and a quarter of women drinking to excess on a daily basis has called for the need to make binge-drinking as “socially unacceptable” behaviour.  Top doctor Dr Julie Bishop has called on the public to view this in the same way as drink driving but saying that it will be a “long road” acknowledging the years it has taken of public information campaigns to change attitudes towards drink-driving.  The aim of the survey was to develop public health interventions to help resolve a growing problem.  Bishop also states that people did respond to “simple, brief advice” from health professionals as proven by a reduction in binge-drinking among those who attended advice sessions carried out by specially trained nurses at the University of Wales in Cardiff.

A survey has shown that 40% of men and a quarter of women are consuming alcohol to excessive proportions on a daily basis.  It was discovered that there was lack of understanding on the number of units per drink and how excessive consumption could affect their health, resulting in a call for a minimum alcohol price of 50p per unit.  The Welsh Assembly Government states it will now use the findings and recommendations within the report to inform ongoing policy development to educate people about the risks of binge-drinking.