Teenagers drinking until they collapse; middle class consumption reaching dangerous levels with record numbers of housewives facing alcohol-induced liver disease; a wrap of cocaine costing less than a trip to the cinema; repeated links between cannabis use and mental health problems. Drinking hours have been extended and cannabis repeatedly regraded, while rehabilitation along celebrity lines is expensive and rare on the NHS.

Drink & Drugs: culture of excess? checks in and asks if there is a quick fix? How is Britain handling societal drugs and alcohol usage? And how does this compare with abroad? Are we so different in our indulgence to the seemingly more civilised Europeans?

"So much information, so little time. But audio technology can help."
Karen Robinson, The Sunday Times

Amanda Eleftheriades has written on substance misuse for various publications including The Herald, Big Issue Scotland and Glasgow's Evening Times. She also consults for a number of voluntary and public sector organisations supporting people with drug and alcohol problems.