David Cameron to launch attack on Britain's 'boozing scandal' The Prime Minister will today visit a hospital in the North East where he will discuss the growing problems caused by alcohol with doctors, nurses, paramedics and police officers. Mr Cameron will say: "Every night, in town centres, hospitals and police stations across the country, people have to cope with the consequences of alcohol abuse. And the problem is getting worse. Over the last decade we've seen a frightening growth in the number of people - many under age - who think it's acceptable for people to get drunk in public in ways that wreck lives, spread fear and increase crime. This is one of the scandals of our society and I am determined to deal with it. He will begin to set out the Government's thinking on how to tackle binge drinking. Mr Cameron will say: "Whether it's the police officers in A&E that have been deployed in some hospitals, the booze buses in Soho and Norwich, or the drunk tanks used abroad, we need innovative solutions to confront the rising tide of unacceptable behaviour." Official figures show that the cost to the NHS of treating alcohol abuse is about £2.7 billion a year - equivalent to £90 for every taxpayer - including £1 billion on A&E services. A recent Government report estimated that the total cost of alcohol to society, including crime and lost work, was between £17 billion and £22 billion annually. Last year, there were 200,000 hospital admissions caused primarily by alcohol, a 40 per cent rise in the past decade. The number of patients admitted with acute intoxication has more than doubled to 18,500 since 2002-03. Medical professionals are virtually united in calling for a minimum price per unit of alcohol in England. A study found that a minimum price of 30p per unit would prevent 300 deaths a year, 40p about 1,000 deaths, and 50p more than 2,000 premature deaths. Scotland is proposing a minimum price of about 45p a unit and several councils in England, including Greater Manchester and Merseyside, are considering bylaws to set minimum prices. Scottish estimates suggest that a minimum price per unit of 45p would result in the steepest price increases for cider, gin and vodka. A bottle of own-brand gin with around 37.5 per cent alcohol content would go up from £6.95 to £11.85. A two-litre bottle of own-brand cider would more than triple in price from £1.20 to £3.75. Mr Cameron is thought to be in favour of increasing the price of alcohol, as part of a "big bang" approach. However, Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, is thought to be pushing for a voluntary approach. The Lib Dems are also understood to be resistant to raising the price of cider and whisky - as their heartlands are in the South West and Scotland. Mr Cameron is also expected to mount a robust defence of controversial NHS reforms. Last night, more than 80,000 people had signed an official petition calling for the reforms to be abandoned.