One in 10 pub goers binge drink

One in 10 pub and club goers plan to binge drink on a night out, with the worst offenders drinking up to 40 units in a night — the equivalent of 20 pints of beer.

Researchers from Liverpool John Moore University questioned more than 200 drinkers in Manchester, Liverpool and Chester on Friday and Saturday nights.

Half of those surveyed said they were drunk, 51% planned to continue drinking and 10% (15% of men and 4% of women) believed their alcohol intake would top 40 units before going home — twice the weekly recommended amount for men and three times too much for women.

Researchers found that higher levels of drunkeness "could be associated" with drinking at home before heading out and staying out longer due to extended opening times.

"The UK has a well-established culture of heavy drinking in nightlife settings," study leader Professor Mark Bellis told the BBC.

"Despite this, there is relatively little information available on drunkenness, with laws restricting sales of alcohol to drunk individuals being largely ignored.

"Implementing safety measures in nightlife environments is crucial to protecting public health, yet without reasonable efforts to reduce nightlife alcohol consumption, such measures may simply result in safer environments for drunks."

Alcohol charity Drinkaware said education was key. "By educating people on the harmful effects of drinking and offering them tips on how to cut down we can encourage people to take a closer look at their relationship with alcohol and make positive changes," said a spokesman.