Some 8.2 million Britons (26%) drink more than the recommended amount of alcohol and one in 20 are dependent on drink, according to social care group Turning Point.
The charity said 150,000 people are admitted to hospital each year because of drinking alcohol.
And 22,000 people die as a direct result of alcohol, mainly from liver disease but also because of accidents, fights and other drink-fuelled incidents.
The cost of treating people with alcohol-related health problems stands at
£1.7 billion a year, according to the Department of Health.
Cabinet Office figures show alcohol-related harm, which includes the cost of policing and the processing offenders though the criminal justice system, costs the UK
£20 billion a year.
In addition, alcohol is a factor in nearly half (45%) of all domestic violence**, a Turning Point spokesman said.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said they were working on a joint campaign with the Home Office to promote responsible drinking amongst young people.
She said: "We are also working closely with the alcoholic drinks industry on preventing alcohol misuse. The industry has already introduced practical guidance on how to promote sensible drinking, and is working to clamp down on irresponsible promotions and underage sales.
"We are already investing heavily in services for people with alcohol problems. An additional £15 million will be provided to PCTs for treatment services from 2008, alongside an extra £3.2 million for new initiatives to help those who are damaging their health through alcohol abuse."
** And that's only the incidents that are reported!
I don't sit and have 10 fags at home, then get in a car & kill someone or go out looking for a fight or batter my other half because I am under the influence of nicotine.
Now tell me which is the worst out of the two
£5bn for tobacco versus £21bn for alcohol (not including the £18.2m mentioned above for the "initiatives" (which clearly aren't working).
