Pity the drunk tank users – they do deserve help | Barbara Ellen

Society has created a need for ‘booze buses’ – from cheap alcohol to large measures to mental health issues – so compassion is the correct response

The chief executive of the NHS, Simon Stevens, is monitoring how drunk tanks, aka “booze buses”, or mobile alcohol recovery units, some of which are already operating around the country, run on New Year’s Eve, to see if they should become a regular feature to take pressure off A&E departments. A national study into the impact of drunk tanks is also under way.

An estimated 12-15% of people requiring assistance at emergency departments are acutely intoxicated. At the weekend, and periods such as New Year, this rises to 70%. So it’s understandable why Stevens says that it’s not the “national hangover service” and calls revellers “selfish”. The drunks take up valuable time and space, wet and soil themselves and sometimes abuse hospital staff. They can’t just be left unattended, as they could choke on their vomit.

Related: Size does matter: wine glasses are seven times larger than they used to be

While my binge-drinking was nothing to be proud of, looking around, it didn’t seem that unusual; quite the opposite

Related: The killer on Britain’s streets – super-strength alcohol

Continue reading... December 31, 2017 at 05:33AM