Binge-drinking blamed for rise in ambulance call-outs

Summer binge-drinking has caused a surge in the number of emergency ambulance call-outs.

In July paramedics in Birmingham dealt with a record 35,000 emergency cases, giving them a daily workload comparable to a New Year's Eve shift. The say the majority were drunken revellers collapsed in the city's streets, unable to cope with a huge intake of beer during the hot weather.

Spokesman for the West Midlands Ambulance Service Steve Evans said: "Usually our monthly figures fluctuate between 24,000 and 26,000, but for some reason they rocketed to 35,000 in July.

"While we can't attribute the rise solely to alcohol-related incidents, binge-drinking is a growing problem. There are times when people stream into towns and pubs - the hot weather has made this summer one of them.

While people thought it was nice to have two or three ice-cold lagers, some didn't stop until they dropped.

"This is a nation-wide problem," said Mr Evans. "We are trying to advise people to the dangers of binge-drinking. We're not trying to be killjoys. We are already excessively busy and while we're attending these alcohol-related incidents, someone else suffering a heart attack is left waiting."