One-third of Brit youngsters drink just to get sloshed

LONDON - Over one third of youngsters in Britain go out drinking with the sole purpose of getting knocked out, according to a survey.

Almost one in four young adults revealed that they had no idea how they got home at least once in the last year and almost a fifth had an alcohol-fuelled one-night stand.

The poll, conducted by ICM, surveyed 2,000 adults aged 18-24.

It found that 36 percen of those questioned went out drinking with the specific intention of getting drunk, said alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware.

For one in three, it was fine to have woken up without knowing how they got home after a binge drinking session.

On the other hand, one in 25 believed it was OK to end up in hospital.

“These worrying statistics are further evidence that the benefits promised by the 24-hour drinking ‘cafe culture’ have failed to materialise,” the Independent quoted Home Secretary Theresa May as saying.

“We want young people to enjoy themselves but we want them to do it responsibly and safely.

“This campaign will complement the Government’s plans to introduce tough measures to ban the sale of below-cost alcohol, crack down on problem premises and overhaul the Licensing Act in favour of local communities,” she added.

Chris Sorek, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: “Binge- drinking is a blight on UK society - it affects individuals, families and local communities and tarnishes our reputation on the global stage.”

“There is no doubt we must tackle the issue and partly this means individuals taking responsibility for their own behaviour.

“We know that most young adults are going to drink, but the fact that so many get into situations they later regret means we should nudge, not nanny, them to change their behaviour and avoid getting into similar, repeat situations,” he added. (ANI)