WE all know that too many adults in East Lancashire are drinking more alcohol than they should.

The evidence is there to see on our streets especially during a spell of the sort of weather we have had during the past week.

Crimes committed by drunks take up a lot of police time and also put extra strains on our already hard-pressed medics who have to try to patch up people involved in mishaps and brawls.

However, if that is bad news, the figures for children with alcohol-related problems are truly frightening.

A total of 184 under-age drinkers have had to be taken to Royal Blackburn or Burnley General hospitals in the past three years. And although the latest annual figure of 44 for 2011/12 was down on the previous year, one of the casualties was only 10 years old.

One East Lancashire expert points out that for £5, young people can buy more than the recommended weekly alcohol intake for an adult.

It’s a great shame that government moves to introduce minimum pricing seem to have stalled because such quantities of booze should be too dear for children to buy with pocket money.