Inside UKs binge drinking hotspot where drunk revellers have sex al fresco, run into car washes & flash their t**s
IT’S 5pm on Saturday night in Leeds City Centre where bars are already packed full of gangs of raucous women letting their hair down whilst cocktail shakers clatter noisily in the background.
An hour later, tables are strewn with empty porn star martini glasses and half-downed bottles of Prosecco, as the lively crowd takes to the dance floor.
Following a boozy afternoon it feels like the punters here have already had their fill, and it’s a scene which will play out between now and Christmas in this buzzing northern city where I was born and bred.
It’s a place where women certainly know how to let their hair down and I used to be one of them.
I’ve encountered all sorts on nights out – from my mate flashing her t**s and running through a car wash, witnessing an amorous couple having sex in a car park, me backflipping off a table, to another pal being sprayed with a fire extinguisher by a bouncer.
That was until I ended up so paralytic after a daytime drinking session with friends in the city I ended up in a car at midnight with strangers who saw me stranded and offered me a lift home.
I vaguely remember getting into a taxi just before, but minutes into the six-mile journey home the driver told me to get out.
I’m not sure whether I offended him, or if he was worried I was so drunk that I might be sick in the car, but my next memory is shuffling my way along the side of the road in high heels, completely alone.
I was incredibly lucky and made it home unscathed to my husband and two young children, but it’s terrifying to think how differently that night could’ve turned out.
Binge drinking danger
And it was all because I didn’t know my alcohol limits and when I got started I simply couldn’t stop.
While I’ve now been predominantly sober since 2020, before I was your ‘classic binge drinker’ – I didn’t see the point in drinking if it wasn’t to get p****d.
Now, women like me are under the spotlight and the latest statistics are concerning.
According to the most up-to-date Department of Health and Social Care figures for Leeds from 2022/23, there were 1,330 female alcohol-related admissions to the city’s two hospitals Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s.
The city was also rated the second most dangerous binge drinking city after London in a study by private alcohol rehab clinic, Delamere.
Its research looked at the numbers of bars and nightclubs, alcohol-related hospital admissions, off-licences and alcoholism rates combined.
Endless boozy bottomless brunches
Experts say fuelling the statistics are bottomless brunches which are a staple of Leeds, a city which has also been ranked 8th on the list of the booziest cities in the UK according to research by reduced-alcohol retailer DrinkWell – and a huge hit with women rather than men.
In a one-mile radius, Leeds City Centre offers 25 bottomless brunch locations which start as low as £26 per person for 90 minutes of unlimited beer, wine and cocktails.
Even now in the run up to Christmas when alcohol consumption increases as office parties and boozy nights kick off, one bar has a sign on the window claiming to be the number one bottomless brunch spot in the city.
Who is going to pay for a bottomless brunch if you’re only going to have a glass or two? It’s just not worth it. The whole idea of it is to get absolutely smashed.
Samantha Yule
I was no stranger to a bottomless brunch where me and my friends made the most of the unlimited drinks.
The ethos is simple and that’s to binge drink as much alcohol during the time slot.
I did around five bottomless brunches before realising they were the devil – they took my binge drinking attitude and multiplied it by five.
Women love them, they’re touted as being drinking sophistication, aimed at girls who want to get dressed up and spend the day in a classy bar.
We worked our absolute hardest to make sure we got as many refills for the money as possible.
Who is going to pay for a bottomless brunch if you’re only going to have a glass or two? It’s just not worth it. The whole idea of it is to get absolutely smashed.
Sobering statistics
In the most recent health survey for England published in September, 78 per cent of women said they had drunk alcohol in the previous 12 months, with 15 per cent drinking at increasing or higher levels of harm per week.
Four per cent of women admitted drinking over 35 units per week.
According to the most recent ONS statistics, from 2018, liver disease is consistently among the top three causes of death each year among women aged 39-45.
And when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) compared alcohol consumption across 33 countries, British women topped the global chart for binge drinking – defined as at least six drinks in one session.
Relying on kindness of strangers
Amin Bini, 49, who owns popular takeaway, Dixy Chicken in Leeds city centre which is open until 4am on weekends, says some female customers – like me – often need help getting home safely.
He said: “Sometimes we have to get customers a taxi or you have to charge their phones.
“I’ve woken some people up, given them a free bottle of water and helped them outside so they can get some fresh air.
“One woman came in once and we had to call the police and when they arrived they had to call an ambulance.”
Amin sees his job as being much more than just serving food and he sees it as his responsibility to keep women safe.
He said: “You have to be very, very patient with them.. You have to take care of them – when they come into my takeaway, I want them to feel safe.
“Especially with females because if they don’t know what they’re doing, they can put themselves in danger and people outside can take advantage of them.
“It’s not just serving takeaways, it’s managing the situation that you see in front of you.”
‘Girls’ night’ association
Alcohol-specific deaths are at their highest levels in the UK, since records began in 2001.
Although the problem is undoubtedly bigger in men, more women under the age of 45 are dying due to alcohol-related liver disease, or ARLD, than ever before, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures from 2001-22.
Meanwhile, Dr Richard Piper, CEO at Alcohol Change UK said alcohol and binge drinking are often dangerously associated with ‘self-care’ for women.
He says: “We need only look to sponsorships in prime-time television shows aimed at women, highly visible advertising as they travel to and from work, and the often inescapable (but false) associations between alcohol and self-care – ‘me time’ and ‘girls’ night’ – to see how much effort and investment from alcohol companies goes into placing it in the spotlight of our day-to-day lives and society.”
The harms of binge drinking
The NHS defines binge drinking as ‘drinking heavily over a short space of time’.
More than 8 units of alcohol in a single session for males, or more than 6 units in a single session for females is the technical definition, according to Drinkaware.
That’s equivalent to about four pints of normal strength beer for a man or three pints for a woman.
When you binge drink, other than getting drunk, your heart rate and blood pressure will rise. It can cause irregular heartbeats, known as arrhythmias.
Alcohol increases stomach acid production – queue the nausea and potentially vomiting.
You’re also likely to experience impaired judgement, coordination, memory blackouts and poor decision making.
This could lead to accidents, falls, drownings and other mistakes.
Long term, binge drinking can cause acute liver damage and increase the risk of chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Cardiovascular problems include cardiomyopathy – which is when the heart loses the ability to pump blood efficiently – and an increased risk of stroke.
Over time, binge drinking can contribute to permanent brain damage. This may present as a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression.
Binge drinking can also lead to alcohol dependence, or “addiction”.
A high health cost
Dr Katherine Severi, Chief Executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies agrees that the ‘targeted tactics’ to encourage binge drinking come at a high cost to women’s health and well-being.
She said: “Alarmingly, over the past 20 years, deaths from alcohol among women have increased by 91 per cent.
“One major factor behind this trend is the alcohol industry’s targeted marketing towards women.
“The recent emergence of ‘bottomless brunches’ is an example of how women are nudged towards social occasions that revolve around heavy drinking.
“These targeted tactics are not only effective; they come at a high cost to women’s health and well-being.”
‘I won’t slip back into old ways’
Now I’m about to turn 50 later this month, and while I might have the odd glass here and there I steer clear of wine completely and I’m adamant that I won’t slip back into my old ways.
Alcohol is the second biggest risk factor for death in the UK – I’m actually thankful that I was pushed into making a decision to quit drinking to excess.
The day I reach my sixth decade is a milestone I want to remember.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “Teams across the council work closely together and with our partners to ensure that people can enjoy Leeds’ thriving hospitality sector safely.
“Our licensing team liaises closely with licensed venues supporting them to operate responsibly and meet their legal obligations, such as not supplying alcohol to those who are intoxicated.
“Our guidance includes providing a substantial food offering and drinking water, pacing the provision of drinks, ensuring all staff are vigilant and door supervisors monitor customers leaving the premises.
Anyone who is struggling with the impact of drug or alcohol use is encouraged to seek help from Forward Leeds.