Alcohol occupies an important place in British society. It is part of the social and cultural life of the country. For many of the 90% of adults in the UK who drink, alcohol is an enjoyable and pleasurable accompaniment to food, entertainment, sport and other leisure pursuits. The UK alcohol industry is valued at more than £30 billion per annum. It employs around one million people and contributes £8 billion in taxes. However, alcohol has always been a major cause of many of society’s ills. Around a third of people drink more than is good for them, with men more likely to do so than women. Binge drinking is the growing fad with serious adverse consequences both for the drinker and for those around him or her. Amongst Government Office Regions the West Midlands comes about midway in terms of mean consumption (15.9 units per week for men and 7.2 for women) with the North East consuming the most and London the least amount of alcohol. The West Midlands is average also for the proportion of people exceeding advised daily limits of alcohol consumption. In 2003, 42% of men drank more than 4 units on at least one day in the previous week.