It's time to put the brakes on binge drinkers

Today's front page report on our binge-drinking crisis is alarming.The fact the rate of risky drinking among men in the region is much higher than the state average is particularly disturbing. The warning from the head of Wollongong Hospital's emergency department is that people are drinking too much, too early in the night. As a result, alcohol-driven accidents, assaults and injuries are putting huge pressure on our emergency services.Dr Tom Carrigan suggests our working-class roots, as well as our large university population, are the reasons the problem is greater here than in other areas. The question is, what can be done to curb the problem?The answer could lie, at least in part, in another report in today's paper, about the dramatic drop in booze-fuelled violence in Newcastle since a raft of measures were introduced, including earlier pub closing hours, lockouts and late-night bans on the sale of shots.The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research recommends the restrictions be extended to other areas, including Wollongong.Publicans might not support the plan and many young drinkers will be aghast. But tough measures are needed - for the sake of the binge drinkers themselves, our overworked health system and anyone who wants to enjoy a night out in a safe environment.