Drunk Women Arrests Up By 84 Per Cent
Binge drinking has been blamed for a huge increase in the number of women arrested by Dyfed-Powys Police for being drunk and disorderly.The force, which covers Carmarthenshire, has seen an 84 per cent rise in the number of alcohol-related arrests of women in the past five years.
Discount drinks, happy hours and free entry to clubs are said to have contributed to the problem by encouraging women to knock back more booze.
Alan Andrews, director of Llanelli- based drug and alcohol intervention service Chooselife, said: "We are becoming Booze Britain and unless something serious is done, the problem is just going to get worse.
"These days, the idea of moderation is just laughed at and I think that is part of the problem.
"It is definitely a big issue in the area, but it is the same everywhere.
"A family or a satisfying career is not enough for people any more - they need more than that, so they turn to alcohol.
"People think they can drink until they drop, and that's where problems start."
The figures, which were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show 65 women were arrested in 2003/04, but that had almost doubled to 120 in 2007/08.
In contrast, South Wales Police reported a significant fall.
Dyfed-Powys Police spokeswoman Eleri Morris said the force had clamped down on the "extremely serious" issue because of its effect on communities.
"In society in general, younger women are consuming more alcohol," she said.
"Safe levels for them are lower than those for males which makes them vulnerable.
"These figures reflect a change in society's attitude to consumption of alcohol and binge drinking.
"However, Dyfed-Powys Police take the problem extremely seriously as it is one of the matters which have been identified by communities as being a problem which they want to see addressed."
Forces in the West Midlands and Gwent saw the most dramatic rise in the number of women committing drunk and disorderly offences, with a increases of 1,138 per cent and 578 per cent, respectively.
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