SORRY if you’re already worrying yourself witless about your departing 18-year-old – but in York, the university and the students’ union hired a private ambulance to look after new students as they drank themselves stupid in Freshers’ Week.

Reassuring or just plain scary?

The ambulance took the drunks to a place of safety to sleep it off under the supervision of healthcare professionals.

You can’t blame the university. There have been too many tragic accidents, especially involving the river. But it tells you a lot about what student life is really about.

Students have always drunk too much, of course. My three years in Bristol, somewhere in the Dark Ages, were spent in a cloud of gut-rotting scrumpy, probably complete with proverbial dead rats. At least it had the great advantage of being cheap.

We might have had grants – mine just about covered the rent and nothing else – but we didn’t have loans, overdrafts or credit cards so were forced to live within our measly means.

“Proper” pubs didn’t encourage students. We’d sit too long with half pints and make the place look untidy.

Now when students arrive it’s party central – banners offering cheap drinks, free shots, special deals, party nights and take-home jugs.

Those who like a drink feel free to have a lot more. Those who aren’t bothered, feel they should, whether they want to or not. And those who really don’t want to are made to feel like freaks.

When the drunks who’ve avoided the ambulances finally come roistering home to continue the party, let’s hope they spare a thought for people who have to get up in the morning and go to work and also for the student neighbours who have actually gone to university to study in sober peace and quiet.

Maybe universities should be making special provision for them, too.