War on drunks

Sir, David Aaronovitch (“Change our drink habits? Pull the other one”, June 3) should only despair at a lack of moral courage. Many American police forces, which I visited during the 1980s, had, and still have, an effective answer to drunken, disorderly behaviour. It is called “the tank”: a special cell with washable mattresses atop a concrete bed and a central sump down which drunks must clean up their own vomit before release, using a hose passed through the cell bars by custody officers. Although perfectly humane, the unpleasantness and stigma of the tank are an effective deterrent to binge drinking. Essential reinforcement is required in the shape of appearance before magistrates, with the attendant embarrassment of having to explain to the boss