SARAH WOLLASTON’S Private Member’s Bill calling for restrictions on alcohol advertising was expected to have its second reading in the House of Commons last week.

This year, 650 young people will die as a result of alcohol – or 13 per week.

It is the biggest cause of death of young people aged 15 to 24 – two die every day.

Official figures show that the North-East has the highest rate of under-18s admitted to hospital with alcohol-specific conditions.

Booze adverts are killing people and the restrictions applying to them should be the same as for cigarettes.

But there is more to be done.

Supermarket drinks prices have halved in real terms over the past 40 years. That should be remedied by large excise duty increases on off-sales.

And please, no moaning about the poor modest-drinking pensioner who will suffer. That is the price – literally – to be paid to save young people.

Next, licensing hours should be dramatically curtailed. Those of us who were introduced to alcohol in the Sixties remember last orders between 10.30pm and 11pm. Back then it was off home and to bed.

The streets were largely clear long before midnight.

The experiment in prolonged licensing has failed. The results are all around us every week – and they are deadly.

Rob Meggs, Hartlepool.