It's official..Brits are alcoholics

British hospitals are treating more than 1220 serious alcohol-related cases every day, a newspaper has reported.

According to The Daily Mail, on any given day there are 1222 separate cases of alcoholic liver disease, intoxication, alcohol-related mental or behaviour disorders, or alcohol-related injury in hospitals.

British Department of Health figures indicate 160,815 people were admitted to casualty wards for alcohol-related conditions last year.

The figure has skyrocketed by 99 percent since 2000 and the number of patients seen by consultants for alcohol-related disease has soared by 95 percent, the paper reported.

Among under-18s, there has been a 40 percent increase in hospital admissions in the last seven years, including serious liver problems, injuries from fighting and young people needing their stomachs pumped.

The increase coincides with the relaxation of licensing laws in 2005 which created 24-hour drinking, the paper reported.

The figures put pressure on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to overhaul the Licensing Act.

Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said it shows the current measures to stem alcohol-related health damage aren’t working.

“That is why we have been looking for real evidence-based ways of reducing the burden of health damage for alcohol misuse, namely tackling price and availability,” Prof Gilmore said.

However, the Brown Government is expected to keep the Licensing Act in place with only a few minor tweaks, and is instead planning to target under-age drinkers and put an end to cheap supermarket offers.