Picking Up Your Tab

Uncorking a bottle of bubbly is a traditional way to bring in the New Year. But in Britain opening one bottle to many is going to cost you.

A report by the right leaning, British group Policy Exchange says excessive drinking on New Year's Eve cost the National Health Service about 23 million pounds. And instead of the government footing the cost, the report says payment should be up to the wayward drunks.

The group recommends that anyone who was admitted to the hospital for less than 24 hours with acute alcohol intoxication should be charged a fee of $845. This fee would be reduced if the individual would agree to attend and pay for their own alcohol and education awareness course. Officials at the Department of Health say the total annual health care cost for issues relating to alcohol is about 2.7 billion pounds a year.

Henry Featherstone is the head of Policy Exchange and says alcohol costs should be paid by the individual and not the government. This move could bring a new meaning to the bar room phrase, picking up your tab.