Binge drinking's newly defined

The Home Office has been slated for its new definition of a binge drinker as someone who gets drunk once a month.

The definition is used to claim that nearly half of all young adults binge drink.

The official Government definition of binge drinking, taken from the Office of National Statistics' general household survey of 2002, is any man who drinks eight units or more a day and any woman who drinks more than six units a day.

However, analysis of the 2003 Offending, Crime & Justice survey released last week attempted to redefine binge drinking as 'those who drink at least once a month and reported feeling very drunk at least once a month in the past 12 months.

Under this new definition, the survey claimed that 44% of adults aged 18-24 were binge drinkers. It said young males (49%) were more likely to binge drink than young females (39%) and that young adult binge drinkers despite accounting for only 6% of those surveyed committed 30% of all crimes reported by adults and 24% of all violent incidents.

'This survey seems designed to create headlines, said British Beer & Pub Association director of communications Mark Hastings. 'The Government's own official definition is far more reliable and rational. It does not help inflating the issue disproportionately to generate headlines.

Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations chief executive Tony Payne added: 'Why do we always blame alcohol for fuelling crime? There are young people out there looking to cause trouble and there is no deterrent.

'Serious crimes are not being dealt with and both the Govern-ment and police need to take a tougher line.