London Ambulance "booze bus" busier than ever in Camden
Published: 26 August, 2010
A LATE night paramedic service dubbed locally as the “booze bus” because it helps revellers on Camden’s streets who are sick from drinking too much, has been busier than ever before, figures from the London Ambulance Service show.
There were 3,453 calls to the rescue team in Camden in the past year, or 10 every day, making the area the second worst for drunken injuries in the country. One in 10 emergency calls in Camden are down to drunken injuries, the service said.
A Camden ambulance manager said: “When we have to attend calls because somebody's had too much drink, that limits our ability to reach people who really need our help.”
Camden’s booze bus is deployed directly to 999 calls judged to be alcohol related. Since the introduction of new licensing laws, 999 calls have gone up in Camden by 21.1 per cent.