THE latest figures about the number of people being admitted to hospital because of alcohol raises yet another red flag about Britain’s drinking culture.

The fact that medics are now seeing people in their 30s and even their 20s with liver disease shows the road to ruin we are travelling down as a society.

Jane Collier, who works at the John Radcliffe Hospital, blames what she calls the “supermarket” culture of alcohol cheaper and/or stronger than what has been available to previous generations.

That is quite true, but there is far more of an element of personal responsibility and education than just blaming private enterprise.

We all felt we were bombproof in our 20s and would never feel the effects of aging. By your late 30s and into your 40s you know that was a fallacy as the body begins to creak and groan.

Unfortunately due to the nature of alcohol consumption these days, that sense of invulnerability in the 20s is leading to younger people to drink far more than is good for them.

Responsible drinking per se is not a problem – it is really when, where and how much.

Educating the young won’t be easy but it is a fight we must undertake.