LONDON (Reuters) - Britain launched a campaign on Monday against excessive alcohol in a bid to tackle its binge-drinking culture, which some say has turned many town centers into virtual no-go areas at night.
Ministers say alcohol misuse costs around 20 billion pounds a year in associated crime, health and social problems and employee absenteeism.
Last year, a government report found that Britons were the worst binge drinkers in Europe, with excessive drinking accounting for 40 percent of all drinking occasions by men and 22 percent by women.
The government plans to issue more exclusion orders to ban trouble-makers from pubs and clubs and make greater use of fines for anti-social behavior.
The alcoholic drinks industry, which is worth 30 billion pounds a year, was also called upon to do more to reduce underage drinking.
"Too much investment has been made in large, themed town-center bars aimed at the lucrative youth market," said Mike Benner, of the consumer group the Campaign for Real Ale.
"This approach has fueled problems with alcohol-related disorder and made many town centers no-go areas for anyone over the age of 25."
Britain's strict licensing laws are due to be liberalized in 2005, allowing 24-hour drinking.
Supporters of the overhaul envision a switch from the current clock-watching pub culture to a more relaxed, and ultimately less boozy, cafe-style culture.
But critics argue round-the-clock opening will simply lead to non-stop drinking. A simple change of hours will not alter a deeply ingrained culture of heavy drinking, they believe.