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Rise in number of female drink offences

02/05/2008

The number of women arrested for being drunk and disorderly in the UK has risen by more than 50 per cent in some areas, new figures show.

Channel 4 News online asked the UK's 52 police forces for details of the number of women arrested on the charge during the past five years.

Twenty-one forces provided like-for-like figures showing a 53 per cent rise in arrests from 3,847 in 2003-4 to 5,891 in 2007-8.

The highest rise was witnessed in the West Midlands, where the number of arrests increased 12-fold from 59 in 2003-4 to 731 last year.

In Gwent, Wales, there was a seven-fold rise from 26 arrests to 190.

Northumbria police reported a 48 per cent rise in the number of arrests from 1,414 to 2,101, with Mike Craik, chief constable of Northumbria police telling Channel 4: "The reality is that clearly more still needs to be done, particularly about underage drinking and the associated youth disorder.

"That may well include rigorous action on the price of alcohol, a ban on advertising, increased education and advertising around the harm it can do, external regulation or even taking a uniquely harmful substance out of the normal retail chain.

"There should also be an end to discounted drinks, such as two-for-one deals, happy hours and supermarkets selling alcohol at below cost prices. There should be a ban on the sale of alcopops and no advertising of alcohol. Consideration should be given to pricing which is relevant to its strength."

In 15 areas across the UK, the number of women arrested for being drunk and disorderly fell or stayed the same during the five year period, however, the charity Alcohol Concern claimed the overall picture was worrying and blamed cheap drinks for the rise in binge-drinking.

Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: "There's no doubt that the number of women binge-drinking has gone up - they are following the example of young men.

"Pubs and bars are now targeting women with special offers and cheap drinks to encourage them to drink more. It should be stopped.

"The recent tax increases in the Budget have also not been passed on; the drinks are still being offered too cheaply. The trouble is that women's bodies cannot handle these large amounts of alcohol."