If heavy drinking in the UK is costing the NHS �2.7bn a year isn't it time to charge drunks for treatment?

Wake up and smell the roses. Here in Ireland we charge! Reason being that to provide special insulated room for people to 'sleep' it off, people to watch so that they do not choke on their vomit, let alone the hourly blood test to watch the blood alcohol level decrease before allowing them to go home. You do the crime, well you do the time and then pay for it. Soon makes a difference.