Back to the Drunk Tank ? or why not take the King's Shilling?

Oh how we have moved on from the days of the press gang coming around the taverns and popping the King's Shilling into the bottom of some poor unsuspecting wretch's glass.

But wait we may be seeing history repeat itself!

This week ACPO have decided to go on a crusade to get rid of a problem their officers suffer on a daily basis......The Drunk!

And their solution, the drunk tank.

They want to hand over responsibility for drunk people to private companies to look after who will charge the offender for the service.

Please let's get real here

Well one thing I agree with is that the Police are not trained to deal with drunken people. Firstly they are not medics and they do not possess the medical knowledge required to look after seriously intoxicated people. Secondly their communication skills are not good enough to deal with intoxicated people so they are most likely to inflame situations just as been shown with those people arrested and suffering from mental health challenges. I would also imagine a situation where people would start to host home parties more often or friends would take responsibility for people to keep them out of the hands of the police. And finally they have not got the ability to offer the constant care that a seriously intoxicated person requires.

So yes I agree the police are not the right people to deal with the seriously intoxicated person.

But neither are private companies.

The first thought that crosses my mind is that private companies are beholden to shareholders so it is about profit. Profiting out of stupidity is not immoral but it is sailing close to the wind especially when working at the behest of the public purse.

My second thought is how well are these private companies equipped to deal with all the consequences of a seriously intoxicated person? They may know how to fill out the boxes that will be without doubt designed by management consultants who have no idea about the root of the challenge but will they be seriously be able to cope with copious amounts of vomit and urine served with a smattering of battering!

Thirdly, and call me an old cynic here, how much per head is the government going to charge as a levy on each person treated? Is this a little money making exercise?

Now don't get me wrong I am not against taking the treating of intoxication out of the police's hands however I would favour some kind of booze bus, fully equipped with all necessary medical kit and staffed with professionals hand picked from the NHS.

These busses would be escorted by police officers to prevent or deal with any potential violence threat and the funding of these could come from a levy on the alcohol industry who would of course be invited to take a full part in this. The price of one of these busses is a lot less than funding a single MP in parliament. And the cost to society is minimal compared to the havoc caused by those intoxicated people running free on the streets.

Yet time and time again I have said what I about to repeat here again,


Education is key to solving our society's challenges with alcohol!

Sir Ken Robinson talks about divergent thinking in education an states that one of the greatest failures of our society is it's failure to grasp opportunities for change. But change is what we need. A change of attitude towards alcohol and a change to our hedonistic ways.


This can not be achieved by locking people in drunk tank and charging them for their follies. It can only be done by cooperative and inclusive learning about alcohol. From child to adult, we need a consistent message about the nature of alcohol. It should not be postured by any organisation that stands to gain by the legislation but it needs to forced through by those who are neutral in political stance but realise the need for a massive change.

Be strong, challenge norms......... CHANGE THE PARADIGMS.