The idea that raising the tax on alcohol would have an effective impact on what is a severe social problem is laughable. Reasonable users of alcohol would be penalised to no purpose. The behaviour of those who drink four or five times more than is sensible would not change. Does anyone imagine that reducing their alcohol intake to three or four times what is sensible would change their behaviour? The problem is not an economic one.

Jim Bruce, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire

Why are we assuming that controlling alcohol consumption will control yob culture? As many of the readers have posted, there are numerous western countries whose teenagers have access to alcohol, but they don't see the level of delinquincy/thuggery/social behavior problems seen in the UK. It is hard to imagine that if we take away the alcohol, all the problems will go away and yobs will turn into mild-mannered students. Is alcohol the cause of class disruptions in our schools? It boils down to accountability and accountability starts with MORE policing, longer sentences, and more prisons. If you break the law, you should expect to go to jail. Plain and simple.

Thomas, London, England

This is just Labour ministers once again blaming everyone else except themselves. If booze is the problem then Tessa Jowell should carry the can for introducing a binge drinkers charter but the real problem is more fundamental than that. Alcohol is still much cheaper in Europe than Britain especially when I can get a can of beer for only 12p. The only drunk kids I see along the Spanish Costas are Brit kids on vacation and not Spanish ones. Until this government cracks down on our kids general bad behaviour nothing is going to change.

Mike, Alicante, Spain

People have been drinkin since it was created ...

Colin traveller , Kilbarchan , renfrewshire

It is cheaper in Italy, Spain etc. It is even cheaper in Germany. But they don't have an under 21 alcohol law. And they don't have people running around smashing the place up at 2am despite bars being open longer than in Britain with our what is laughably referred to as "24 hour drinking". since when was 12 until 11pm or some until 12.30 am with most shut by then 24 hour opening? so what is your point Keith?

Dave Proctor, Leeds,

The drunk stars are the same young people that are causing the problems, not an example that youngsters are following.

Mark, stoke on trent, staffordshire

Giving children £30 a week and £500 bonuses as "Education Maintenance Allowance" only fuels binge drinking.

Dunken street disorder? selling alcahol to children?
perhaps we could try enforcing the law?

Sadly though, Police on the street and law enforcement is out of favour with this government, using any excuse to increase taxation isnt..........

paul b , harlow, uk

Why should celebrities be responsible for those who choose to follow their lives and artistic endeavours? The problem is less with their behaviour and more with the media who constantly ram their drunken escapades down our pathetically obsessed throats.
And as for super markets selling cheap booze... who would rather that they sold it more expensively? This is a move that clearly interferes with the free market and I imagine would achieve nothing more than taking more pocket money from those youths who buy it anyway.
This is certainly an issue concerned with our societal viewpoint on alcohol consumption... and nothing else.

Charles 3B, London,

I agree with Hillier on this, but they should go further. Alcohol in the UK is more expensive than most of Europe, which does not have these problems. Blanket price rises or changing the drinking age are not fair on the responsible. Promotions that encourage rapid and excessive drinking are a problem. Yet the biggest problem is simply that in the UK our penalities and enforcement regime for overserving and underage serving are weak, bordering on non-existent, beyond headline blitzes. Effective changes can come from those who supply, not consumers. Kids will take whatever opportunites they are presented with.

Guy Redden, Lincoln, UK

What have supermarkets and celebrities got to do with it? A lot of these kids are of working age but have no job.....a Governmental problem. Add to this, parents who have no control whatsoever, or any desire to take it, and you end up with youngsters who have nothing else to do bar entertain themselves by getting totally smashed. I keep saying it....when you have nothing, ( no job, no future), you've got nothing to lose. It's a dangerous situation that our Government is choosing to ignore.

Judy , Liverpool, england

So booze is even cheaper in the US.Don't seem to see young people going round the streets at 2 am smashing the place up & causing grief.Maybe because they do have a 21 yrs alcohol law.We will never implement one,HMG would loose too much tax.Our government is spineless & weak.Can't even tackle the drugs problem in a correct way,we are only a small island but with poor border controls what do you expect.Sorry to digress but booze & drugs are the big problem with our young people,the government do not have the will to tackle the problem,lots of fine words no real action.

Keith Watkins, Redruth, Cornwall