THE news recently has rather curiously and suspiciously been dominated by the Government’s latest pledge to increase the price in shops of cheap lager, cider and spirits.

The main reason for imposing a minimum charge per unit apparently being, by virtually common consent, to attempt to reduce mass public binge-drinking at weekends.

Despite all the tedious arguments on both sides, however, no-one seems to have mentioned the somewhat obvious fact that, whatever the rise in cost, purchasing such beverages from off-licences and supermarkets will remain a sight cheaper than using pubs and so on.

So, if Friday and Saturday night town and city centre revellers are unable and unwilling to spend more than at present, all that is necessary in order to attain a similar level of drunkenness in the same environment, is for them to consume a slightly greater proportion of the strong stuff.

My letter printed on June, 18, 2010, alluded to the seemingly equally overlooked heightened risk of theft, begging and the imbibing of totally inappropriate liquids.

I could also have included a greater temptation to supplement the alcohol with probably more dangerous prohibited substances and also the issue of bootlegging.

DAVID DIMENT, Riverside Court, Oxford