£20bn cost of binge drinking

Britons were today officially branded Europe's worst binge-drinkers - costing the country's economy £20billion a year.

An official report from the Cabinet Office painted a stark picture of the damage done to the country's health and wealth by the growing problem.

Ministers were set to warn that youngsters were turning to the habit earlier and that more and more women were indulging in heavy sessions.

They want to see a move away from bingedrinking - defined as consuming more than eight units of alcohol at a time - towards a "Mediterranean" style of more moderate consumption.

Today's report was being presented as a "snapshot" of a growing habit, with statistics showing that among younger age groups, up to 70 per cent of women were binge-drinking regularly, confirming the rise of "ladette" culture.

Among younger men, four in 10 drinking sessions involve more than eight units of alcohol per person.

The figures were expected to show that while total alcohol consumption in England was less than in other European countries, no nation went on more damaging binging sessions. Thirty five per cent of all accident and emergency cases are alcohol-related, with this percentage doubling on Saturday nights.

Ministers, however, recognise the dangers of legislating in this area and are likely to call for a voluntary approach, with the onus on landlords to provide a safer environment for drinking, and to tell staff to stop serving customers who have had too much.

Charity Alcohol Concern said the Government would have to increase spending by vast amounts. Chief executive Eric Appleby said: "What we now need to see, and quickly, is some serious action - and money. Until we get this proactive action, we will simply be sweeping up the mess created by alcohol problems - dealing with its symptoms rather than the illness itself."