[Ammi]

A Health Minister last night led calls for a ban on ‘dangerous’ mobile phone apps that encourage young people to binge-drink.

Norman Lamb, the Lib Dem Minister for Care, called on Google and Apple to launch an urgent investigation into ‘irresponsible’ drinking games sold through their online markets, which could fuel drink-related health problems and anti-social behaviour.

The intervention came after a Mail on Sunday investigation uncovered hundreds of alcohol-related apps and promotions on social media sites that critics say target youngsters and popularise excessive drinking

This newspaper identified more than 340 alcohol-related apps available to download on the Google and Apple stores.

Some of them have been downloaded tens of thousands of times by British users, many of whom are suspected to be under the age of 18

Examples of drinking games online include Let’s Get Wasted on Google Play, which has been downloaded 8,000 times in the UK, either for free or for just 83p.

Players tap in the types of alcohol they have to hand and choose a cartoon character as their avatar

The game then selects a player roulette-style and they are instructed to drink what the app suggests. Volumes are decided at random.

Players monitor their alcohol levels through stages including ‘tipsy’, ‘boozy’, ‘well-oiled’, ‘drunk’ and ‘loaded.’

If a player refuses a drink, the game makes a ‘chicken’ noise. The winner is the first to reach the final stage of ‘wasted’.

Developer Chris Gabler, 23, from Vienna, said: ‘I was looking at the Play store for a drinking game so I decided to make my own.

‘The responses were very positive. On a weekend, about 2,500 people all over the world play my drinking game.’

Other games such as King of Booze and Bomba Drink - both of which are drinking challenges featuring cartoon characters and video game-style graphics - are currently being sold through Apple’s App Store.

A recent Australian study found that the majority of alcohol-related apps for mobile phones or tablet computers fell into ‘entertainment’ categories rather than ‘health’.

Researchers from the Burnet Institute in Melbourne said: ‘The majority of popular alcohol-related apps encouraged alcohol consumption.’

After The Mail on Sunday alerted him to the games, Mr Lamb said: ‘It’s pretty abhorrent and I condemn those organisations because it promotes behaviour which has a massive impact on our A&E departments and police forces.

'The damage that it can do is immense, so I think the people who promote these apps should think again.’

Conservative MP Andrew Percy, a member of the Health Select Committee, called the apps ‘dangerous’ and backed Mr Lamb’s call for a ban.

Ben Shields, 24, whose teenage brother Mark died after drinking three pints of beer and eight double spirits in 40 minutes, said: ‘I’m appalled apps which encourage young people to get wasted are being marketed in their thousands by Google.

‘I have learnt first-hand just how dangerous alcohol can be.’

Google said: ‘Apps that focus on consumption or sale of alcohol must be rated “high maturity” so parents can control their children’s access to them.’

Apple last night declined to comment






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