This is Wiltshire reports:
People who binge drink and need ambulances and paramedics to deal with them are putting the health of others at risk. Paramedic Steve Blackmore said the number of calls for ambulances to deal with drunken patients was putting a strain on the service and said assaults on his staff from drunken patients were increasing.
Mr Blackmore was speaking as part of Wiltshire Police's OP XS campaign which this month will target excessive drinking. Mr Blackmore, who is a divisional officer for the Great Western Ambulance Service, said: "The health of the nation is deteriorating. People are drinking at a younger and younger age and it is common place for teenagers to be drinking alcohol. continued...
"While our ambulances are tied up dealing with drunks there are lots of other people who are waiting for an ambulance. "People with heart attacks may be downgraded so we can attend someone who has been assaulted in a fight." Mr Blackmore said ambulance staff are being put at risk and are experiencing assaults or verbal abuse on almost a weekly basis.
Between April 2005 and March 2006, violent crime rose in Wiltshire by 23% and much of the increase is believed to have been sparked by excessive drinking. OP XS was launched in June in a bid to combat the sharp increase in drink related crime. Since the campaign started there have been 1,000 arrests for alcohol-related disorder.
In June the campaign targeted binge-drinking and anti-social behaviour, in July the focus switched to the role played by excessive drinking in incidents of violent crime and in August the campaign focused on drink driving.
In September the focus of the campaign is on alcohol related deaths and the effect on health, with the strapline ‘think twice b4 getting wasted. Marketing activity will include posters, press adverts and radio adverts on GWR FM and Spire FM.
Campaign info, posters and audio from Wiltshire Police.
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