Policy Exchange (PE), a think tank believed to have the ear of David Cameron has proposed a set of radical measures to tackle the current alcohol misuse epidemic prevailing in the UK.

According to the group, New Year revellers admitted to hospital for sleeping off their alcoholic excesses should be asked to pay £532 in charges for the privilege of the short-term hospital treatment. This could well cause embarrassment to Conservative leader, who has taken considerable pains to reassure voters, there will be no under-mining of public services by the Tory government.

Shortly after being elected as party leader, Cameron had pledged in 2006 that the National Health Service (NHS) would be kept ‘free at the point of need and available to everyone’.

However, the problem of alcohol misuse has reached epidemic levels, pushing PE to ask the government to review its entire strategy and suggesting removal of the burden from the NHS to the individual who is admitted in hospital for less than 24-hours with acute alcohol intoxication. The number of people entering hospital for alcohol intoxication has doubled over the decade.

According to the group’s estimates, excessive drinking as part of tonight’s New Year celebrations will cost the NHS £23-million, adding to the direct alcohol misuse costs to the NHS of £1.47- billion between 2001 and 2007.

PE believes that the NHS should charge £532 from people hospitalized with acute alcohol intoxication for less than 24-hours, with charges reduced for those who register and pay for a course in alcohol education and awareness.

While, countries like Italy, France and Germany have witness substantial falls in alcohol consumption per person, bucking the trend, Britain has seen a significant rise in the consumption of alcohol per person over the past 15-years.

The latest government statistics indicate there are 7.6-million people drinking at levels dangerous for their health, while 2.9-million have already harmed themselves due to excessive drinking.