Drunk tanks

I think the problem is basically the availability of alcohol and attitudes to whether it is or is not socially acceptable to get really drunk.

having said that I grew up in the Glasgow area and know only too well how much people drank there in the 1950s and 1960s

I think governments should increase taxes on all forms of alcohol and make it illegal for publicans to serve obviously drunk customers. The money coming in from increased taxes could be used to inform youngsters of the health risks of drinking to excess and warn them how easy it is to become an alcoholic and be dependent on the stuff. Money should also be used to help those who genuinely want to stop drinking, but I have no problem with the drunk and incapable being fined or in other ways made to pay for the treatment they need.

I'm thinking of all the admin work. Risk assessments, reviews, etc etc.

Wouldn't the admin costs of trying to recoup the cost of their treatment be more than providing free treatment?

Police time, nhs admin time, court time, bailiff costs etc etc.

Too bad if they choke on their own vomit. Getting drunk is a deliberate action as is driving a car when you've been drinking. Deliberate actions like those should not be tolerated.
One of my sons rang from hospital about 10 or more years ago. He'd been to a media bash (drinking, obviously) and, driving home to N Yorks in the rain no seatbelt on and, on his own admission, speeding in the early hours, he lost control of the car and went into the path of an oncoming lorry. Luckily, lorry driver was ok but son's car a write-off and hospitalised with a broken collar bone and various bruising. Nothing major. He was in the middle of telling the tale when I asked what woukd have happened if he'd killed the other driver, if his fiancée had been his passenger and got killed. He went silent. I told him not to ring again and it was a full 4 years before we spoke again. I didn't go to his wedding either. The fact that he wanted to prattle on about the crash made me disgusted. I won't get in my youngest daughter's car if she's had a drink OR if her mobile phone is on. It has to be off and in the boot. I've no truck with people whose stupid actions risk the lives of others.

I'd be quite happy for these binge drinkers to have to give a credit/debit card first before being treated and then be charged the full cost of their treatment to include staff wages/transportation/drugs etc. Double if they turn up a second time. That would sober a lot of them up.

part of the problem, IMHO is the police. When I was a teenager, if I was picked up drunk I would be taken to a police cell. In the morning it would be a case of kicked out early doors or, possibly a court appearance. Nobody wanted that. Now Police take drunks to A&E and leave them there for the NHS staff to sort out. At least that's what happens here.

It all opens up so many other issues though. What if someone was turned away from the hospital for being inebriated, and was later found to have had some serious health issue?

I like your idea, Primrose. Assessed at the hospital door and if you’re drunk and incapable you go into the special facility. I have been to a (civilised, calm, safe) minor injuries clinic that stipulated at the entrance that no drink or drugs related cases would be seen, directing them to go to the nearest A & E. Directing them to the Virgin drunk tank would be a better idea all round.

Chronic alcoholism is an entirely different kettle of fish MissA.

What about people who couldn't pay, though? Those on a low income, for example? It could be argued that its discriminatory not to allow them safe shelter when they're vulnerable. Possibly more vulnerable than someone who has just gone out with their mates for a piss up.

In one eastern european city I went to they charged the equivalent of £10 for paper pyjamas and as much water as required and you could stay as long as you needed. If you were drunk & didn't use the service you would be arrested

Hahaha....good grief.
Unbelievable.
Beds?
Showers?
They ought to be chucked into rooms with built in ledges (as in the USA) metal toilets without seats (as in prisons) and access to water (metal basin with sluice drain in the corner where the water can flow when the 'cell' is hosed down when empty.
Why provide showers? If they get manky with vomit and poo then let them go home in that state. Let them realise what a bloody mess they look and how disgusting they are.

Brilliant idea Primrose!

I think drunk tanks would be a perfect service to be run by private healthcare companies, like Virgin Care.

Let them set one up outside every A&E department - the hospitals could rent them space in the carpark and generate a few extra £££s. The NHS doesn't have to collect any money from anyone then, Virgin can do all the admin and payments, so the NHS is still free at the point of use and the taxpayer isn't paying for people's irresponsible behaviour.

If you can't afford to pay, don't get so drunk.

I assume the duty on alcohol will pay for the policing & treatment of alcohol related problems as the duty on tobacco contributes to the cost of treating tobacco related problems?

There is an SOS bus in a town near me. Watched a programme about it a couple of weeks ago, and the abuse the volunteers take is astounding. Not everyone, of course. Some want to quietly lay their head down.

We have Street Pastors in our area, who patrol the various places where most of the drinking goes on. I don,t really know if their presence is very useful or not....giving out pairs of flip flops to those who have lost their shoes, and trying their best to be helpful. It's become the culture now to have quite a bit to drink before going out, so that when they do hit the pubs and clubs the sole intent is to drink to oblivion. When we used to have the "off licence" with regulated opening times as opposed to freely available in most supermarkets there was,nt this culture we have now. People still liked a drink but the rules were enforced more. A night locked up in a police cell for being drunk and disorderly was a timely reminder. To me we should revert back to "off licences" and not sell booze in other shops, so that we can have a bit more control....it worked before and it could again. I don't think we should have Drunk Tanks" either, that's just pandering to the situation and making it seem the norm. No.. fine them for it, and get some of them on community service....scrubbing out public toilets and the mess that's left in the streets. All the extra street cleaning goes on the council tax bill so many people having to pay for the unsocial behaviour of others.

I've often thought that people who are just so drunk that they end up in A &E should be charged. God knows why we don't do it. £100 a time might make them think twice.

We are far too soft IMO on a lot of things in the UK. As usual, I suspect no party of whatever colour would even think of introducing such legislation, for fear of losing votes.

Niobe those who are overweight or smokers don't generally turn up at A&E on a regular basis because they've eaten an entire Xmas super sized Toblerone or had a few too many cigarettes.

Jane so yes entirely agree with you that drunks should pay at least something towards their treatment. Teenage drunks are a menace ..... often taken to A&E where they remain abusive and out of control for many hours. On that "24 Hours in A&E" I've seen a few examples. Of course once they sober up, they're usually embarrassed by the little they can recall of their drunken antics. Is that a good night out?

Obviously there are far, far wider issues related to alcohol consumption, but the drink tank sounds a good option for the 'safe storage' of drunken souls.

Alcohol has always been a problem right through history. It's in every book including the problems with in The Bible for example.

The thing is today with 24/7 news we know too much about whats happening. Yes the problem has got bigger in The U.K. however dont think it hasnt always been a problem because it has.

That doesnt make it right the abuse of alcohol however it is what it is.

How do we sort out what is not bought on by fault and not treat in the NHS then ?

Do we not treat the obese, the smoker, the person who has caused an accident in a car and so on? Where do we stop?

I work in the recovery industry so have a bigger overview of what is happening with this.

For the record though alcohol abuse costs far more than people realise as it is not just the NHS that is affected by it. It's the courts, police, prisons, social services etc etc. Then you need to look at the social issues behind it. However yu3 other side of the equation is it keeps people in work. I am not talking of the NHS here.

It's not as straightforward as it seems

Excessive drunkeness can be solved, but only if society has the will to do it.

Bluebelle, look at anita's story.
If they'd all had a few drinks, they were all over the daily limit.
Should her friend have been charged?
If she hadn't had anything to drink, perhaps she would not have fallen over and twisted her ankle.

Antiampl I think it’s fairly easy to tell the difference you do say you d had a few drinks but weren’t drunk so that’s your answer Was your friend sick over the doctor spitting and swearing at the nurses no I m sure not so where’s the difficulty ?

Paddyann wrote:

"I think its a good idea,it can be run with a couple of staff and free up the A and E staff to get on with their real job".

I agree. However it has happened that what might look like drunken is actually a proper disease such as brain tumour, or stroke, or head injury, or vertigo.

For this reason the drunktank would have to be staffed with sufficient doctors to diagnose the sort of injury. Also needs trained nursing auxilaries to give IV hydration stomach washgouts, or coffee enemas or whatever they do to life threatened drunks. It's not cheap.

I say get the police to really screw the clubs and pubs that serve drunks. Make a serious example via police powers and let deterrence work.