"I went out with me mates and drank 23 Vodka Ices. Then I had a couple of bottles of strong lager and some speed. Later on I had nine more Vodka Ices.
"And this girl called me a wanker. So I lost me bottle and hit her."
The 15-year-old young woman was last year sent to a young offenders' institution in England for first-offence GBH. The offence was committed under the influence of 52 alcohol units. In her conversation with the substance misuse worker, it was revealed that she and her mates went binge drinking most nights.
Stop the rot
It is anecdotes like this that make the Government's imminent Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy so timely. Due this month, it is expected to place an emphasis on young people and binge drinking. The strategy follows the Antisocial Behaviour Act, within which alcohol is identified as the cause of much antisocial behaviour. Problems inextricably linked with alcohol include violence, absenteeism, accidents and unsafe sex.
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