New South Wales is seeing the emergence of the Ladette - young women in the 18 to 24 age bracket who go out, to drink as much as the boys.
Between 2000 and 2007, the total number of binge drinkers turning up at hospital emergency departments rose by 59 per cent.
The Sun Herald reports the biggest rise was seen amongst young women, whose numbers increased a massive 200 per cent.
Health Minister John Della Bosca says our hospitals can't cope and there needs to be a change in our drinking culture.
“From time to time I’ve been known to have a drink.”
“I think all of us accept that drinking is part of our culture but there’s a lot of people with the burden of chronic disease as a result of long-term moderate abuse of alcohol.”