Revellers urged to watch the booze as ‘Mad Friday’ begins

Camden had the second most alcohol-related incidents last December, according to the London Ambulance Service

Paramedics have warned about the dangers of drinking to excess as it braces itself for its busiest night of the year for drink-related incidents.

Ambulance crews and control room staff are expecting to deal with 900 call-outs this weekend alone as Londoners begin their festive celebrations.

Last December, paramedics in Camden responded to 358 booze-fuelled incidents, behind colleagues in Westminster who dealt with 532.

‘Mad Friday’, falling on 16 December this year, is traditionally the busiest day of the year for such incidents.

The LAS have warned partygoers to think about the consequences of drinking too much amid fears patients passed out drunk draw valuable resources away from those more vulnerable, such as elderly fallers or injured children who are left waiting longer.

Alcohol-related calls are the most common need for an ambulance among 21-30 year olds in the city.

Dr Fenella Wrigley, Medical Director at London Ambulance Service said: “We launched our latest campaign ‘Getting drunk is not a game’ in the hope of educating people on the impact that excessive drinking can have on our other patients.

“Every ambulance crew responding to someone who has simply had too much to drink is an ambulance crew not responding to an ill or injured person who needs them.

“We want Londoners to have a great time during this party season but, we also need them to look after themselves and their friends.

“Too often over the festive season, our crews can spend much of their night caring for people who are vomiting, violent or unconscious after a night out drinking, leaving them unable to respond to other emergencies.”