Drunk Tanks For

[emmie]

revellers, good idea perhaps ?

http://news.sky.com/story/1143123/police-back-private-drunk-tanks-for-revellers

[ummmm]

Yeah, good idea. Police should be policing not looking after drunks.

It's not saying people can't get drunk, just don't cause bother when you do.

[emmie]

i think so too and said so a number of times, if i had received a hefty fine for being drunk, stuck in a drunk tank overnight, i wouldn't do it again. And A&E's have enough to deal with, they don't need the throwing up, fighting drunk brigade. They would likely be exceptions, but sure that detail could be worked out.

[Hypognosis]

Is it permissable to force someone into a transaction regarding overnight accommodation, whilst intoxicated, whereby they're landed with an unforseen £400 bill?

Isn't that kidnap/extortion?

It'll nix the annual holiday for these people. Ryanair and Easyjet will be mortified about losing some of their best customers, surely?

[emmie]

kidnap/extortion, no, it's sensible surely. If you get pissed and end up in the gutter being sick as a dog, and are picked up by the ambulance service, they take you to hospital, where you will be treated, found a trolley and likely sleep in off, or if so bad have your stomach pumped, cost to NHS big time. A separate unit dedicated to social revellers who go too far, fined 50 quid the morning after, are unlikely to get pissed again, or at least will have the nous to have the cash to get home, or someone who drives and doesn't drink. Having been in A&E i can testify to bad behaviour, and it's no fun seeing someone throw up whilst you are feeling incredibly unwell.

[bibblebub]

There's a Chief Inspector on tv at the moment and the police are going to call them "welfare centres".

[boxtops]

Perhaps they can open them all day, and be homes for the drunks who seem to live permanently in our parks and town centre, shouting and swearing.

[emmie]

these are mainly aimed at the party goer / reveller who gets so drunk they can't stand, are a liability and usually end up in hospital, taking up much needed space and time of the paramedics, doctors.
as to the ones in the parks, we have lots of them aswell, they are alcoholics, i heard one woman say as i was walking past, to a drinking pal, this stuff doesn't touch you does it, has no effect whatsoever, the stuff was heavy duty, but deadly cheap alcohol, that most of us would be sick on...

[youngmafbog]

I thought there were drunk laws already. Why are these not enforced to the full, not only to teh drinker but to the bar/pub.

I know many drink beforehand at home but if the pubs/clubs refused entry if drunk and refused to serve more until you drop then surely most of the problem would go away.

This is not new though. It went on in the late 70's 80's when I was younger but due to no camera's it never received press.

[jake-the-peg]

//transaction regarding overnight accommodation, whilst intoxicated//

That's a good point!

Also a strong risk that if police just cart 'drunks' off without medical support it won't be long before someone suffering from a medical condition is carted of to a 'centre' and dies there.

There would have to be adequate medical support there and then it all starts getting complicated

Not saying it couldn't be made to work but it's not a quick and easy fix like some would like to paint it

the devil's in the detail!

[emmie]

no one said it's a quick fix, but the A&E is not a pick up service for drunken revellers who have had one over the eight. Having sat in A&E for some hours in the early hours of the morning one time, whilst waiting for a bed, the drunks, druggies, and those who had been in a fight, scrap needed attention, they were not few in number.
The drunk tanks can be staffed by police, medics on hand, it will still save the general A&E units, and ill people do not have to watch the shenanigans of the self inflicted inebriates.

[emmie]

ymb, they won't stop the youngsters from going into clubs if they have had a few drinks beforehand, they like the money they bring in to remotely care.

[Sqad]

\\\\This is not new though. It went on in the late 70's 80's when I was younger but due to no camera's it never received press. \\\

No true in my experience......ask any "bouncer" or doctor who has worked in Casualty and they will tell you that there has been a marked escalation during the past couple of decades.

JTH raises a good point about the possibility of a head injury being thrown into the "drunk slammer" and dying...........this has happened as long as i can remember.

Shami Chakrabarti will be rubbing her hands with this idea and to the thoughts of getting stuck into human rights ideals.

At last people are accepting that alcohol is a problem and is getting worse and will get out of control unless something is done.

Is it a good idea, considering all the limitations,..YES I think it is.

[Ellipsis]

> Is it permissible to force someone into a transaction regarding overnight accommodation, whilst intoxicated, whereby they're landed with an unforeseen £400 bill?

Yes. They need to think about the consequences BEFORE they get drunk.

[IggyB]

Would they be held there against their will... If they are private enterprises won't people just request to leave and when it comes to the bill how will that be enforced if the individual was so drunk they were incapable on entering a contract, it would surely need to be paid as part of a fine issued by police rather than simply a bill.

I agree that the problem of police and nhs resource drain needs addressing but not sure this is the answer. Not entirely opposed to the idea but in practice this sounds very difficult to achieve. I must admit I am sceptical about commercial involvement in this area... Now a police run drunk tank would be a different matter, one large cell with many bucket in it for people to sober up then charged with drunk and disorderly in the morning.

[IggyB]

Good point trigger - i was assuming this was for people committing crimes while drunk, not just being drunk.

[ToraToraTora]

I like the idea of charging them but I just wonder about the logistics of it all. I mean it's ok if your local drunk tank is, well, local! They should do what they do now but charge them a pre defined fee for occupying one of plod's flowery dells for the night.

[Zacs-Master]

Some people have already commented on the details of how this would work. I would like the following answered before commenting as to whether they're a good idea:
1) how do the drunks get to the cells? Are the police to take them or will we have private ambulances to take them.
2) where are these drink tanks / welfare centres? Is a private company to 'rent' existing police charge rooms and cells?
I can only see the police involvement being minimally reduced, which is, I believe, the underlying reason for their being considered.

[flump1]

Yes, I agree with this, it might keep them out of A &E every weekend in the big cities. Also if there is a charge to pay they might think twice before getting so drunk they lie in the gutter.