PUTTING up the price of alcohol is the only realistic way to stop Islanders drinking themselves into an early grave, according to an Island psychiatric consultant.

With Islanders’ thirst for booze showing no signs of diminishing, Dr John Sharkey is calling on ministers to make a stark choice. He says that they must decide whether their allegiance lies with Islanders who are causing themselves irreparable brain damage through alcohol or the entertainment industry which profits from its sale. He spoke out after an initial audit suggested that Islanders were suffering in disproportionately high numbers from a brain-wasting disease caused by excessive drinking. Men in their 30s are now being treated for Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which leaves sufferers with symptoms usually associated with senile dementia. The syndrome, which can be fatal, is caused by a deficiency in thiamine in the brain as a result of excessive alcohol and a poor diet. Symptoms include memory loss, increased stress levels and anxiety.