A HOSPITAL consultant who is backing a minimum price for alcoholic drinks has said he is seeing "younger and younger" patients whose lives are being cut short by excessive drinking.

Consultant gastrenterologist Richard Thomas, from the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton said: "We are unfortunately seeing younger and younger people whose misuse of alcohol is causing serious medical problems and shortening their lives."

The campaign by the North East alcohol office, Balance, to raise awareness of the heavy price the North-East is paying for cheap alcohol gets under way on Teesside tomorrow (NOV 1).

North-Easterners are being urged to sign a petition calling for a minimum unit price of at least 50p.

The team will be visiting hospitals, shopping and city centres across the region over the next couple of months to gather support.

A national Government consultation about minimum pricing is expected in November.

Earlier this year the Government announced it is to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol to help tackle the problems caused by cheap alcohol.

Although the Government has not yet agreed upon the level at which it will be set.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, which employs Dr Thomas, has also backed the campaign.

Dr Thomas said: "We welcome Balance's campaign. It will give the public the opportunity to have an informed debate about the prices of alcohol.

"We see how alcohol affects people's behaviour and can lead to violence and aggression. In accident and emergency we see the people who have mis-used alcohol and perhaps injured themselves as a result but also those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves on the receiving end of alcohol-fuelled violent behaviour."