IT is a sad fact that binge drinking in this country is seen as an acceptable way of life.

We drink alcohol in far greater quantities than nearly everyone else in the world.

We are far more reliant on drink for our socialising and entertainment than even the most hard-drinking or our European counterparts And we are paying a high price for such an addiction.

Drinking to excess is undoubtedly damaging the populations' health. It causes more violence than anything else and it causes more road accidents than virtually anything else.

We have to ask why we do it?

Some of those we have spoken to as part of our investigation today say they do it because there is nothing else to do, others admit it is because they have an addiction..

The licensing trade eggs us on with cheap drinking sessions and party hours.

But it is the police and the NHS who are left to clear up the debris afterwards.

We do not have the answers as to how this should be tackled but there is no doubt that moves must be made to try to steer people away from such behaviour.

We don't want to be killjoys but excessive drinking has to be curbed.

Is the answer to tax drink more heavily or to have more and more education about the effects?

For the NHS the solution may be to charge for the care of those who are swamping our A&E departments because of drink-related injuries or illnesses.