BRITAIN'S drink problem is getting worse. Take to any town centre on any night and the evidence is there.

Groups of men and, increasingly, young women stagger from bar to bar. Some will fight, some will vomit or urinate on the pavement, some will end up in casualty. All will feel rotten the next morning.

The country shares their hangover. Alcohol-related deaths have doubled in the past 20 years; much violent crime is related to drink; the cost in health care and absenteeism is phenomenal.

Ultimately, the blame falls on individual drinkers. Sadly though, our binge culture does pressurise young people into believing that inebriation is essential for enjoyment.

As a result, the Prime Minister has rightly urged the drinks industry to take more responsibility.

Now North Yorkshire police are looking to put the onus on publicans. Ryedale officers are to ask those arrested for alcohol-related offences where they got their last drink. Police will then visit the pub and warn the landlord that a repeat offence could cost him his licence.

There are obvious problems with this scheme: can you trust the word of a drunk? What if his last drink were bought for him by a more sober companion?

Any case to deprive a landlord of his livelihood needs to be water-tight. Officers must not alienate licensees who are crucial partners in the battle against drink-related crime.

However if implemented with care, this policy could yet prove an effective tool to root out irresponsible publicans and reduce drunken behaviour.

What works in Ryedale may not work in York, of course. The influx of drinkers to the city from across the region, particularly on race days, is likely to render this sort of post-pub investigation impractical.

Updated: 10:07 Tuesday, June 08, 2004