Half of North East residents suffer because of someone else's drinking

 A new report from campaign group Balance comes after a survey of 1,300 North East residents aged 18 or over.

 It showed 57% have suffered at least once because of the drinking of others in the last 12 months, 45% suffered one negative consequence such as being kept awake at night by noise, and 23% have been verbally abused at work at least once by an unknown drinker.

 And 18% felt unsafe when they were on the street or in a public place.

 Balance director Colin Shevills said: “There is an obvious awareness of the harm that alcohol can have on individuals but we also need to tackle the impact that drinking alcohol can have on others – the second-hand harms. This is a real issue which we also need to address.

 “I’m sure many of us can recall an instance when someone else’s drinking has affected us in some way.

 “We can’t just accept this as the ‘norm’ – no one should have to suffer the second- hand harms of alcohol.”