If someone is at the point where they are too drunk to look after themselves than that would constitute drunk and incapable, but its a seriously fine line between taking someone to a Police cell for their own protection so they can sleep it off instead of waking up in an alley half naked, and. We still do occasionally take people to the nick so they can sleep it off, some accept it and are fine, others kick off. The problem we have is a cell is not the right place for someone on the borders of consciousness as we have virtually no medical facilities immediately to hand, we also have to provide a Police officer to look after them on a 'constant watch' to prevent them choking to death - not something you guys want us to do when we only have a dozen or so Police officers to cover an entire city or london borough. Even if they are not quite that bad they have to be checked every 15 mins, again taking up resources meaning we can't take as many prisoners into custody, meaning people who should/could get nicked get left to wonder off. We are personally responsible for every single prisoner in custody and if someone dies than that's a good half dozen Sgt's and PC's suspended for months (if not years) and investigated for gross negligent manslaughter. F*ck that. I personally think that there should be a MASSIVE fine for people taken to hospital because of self induced intoxication. An Police issued £80 fine for drunk and incapable is nothing, especially as most don't get paid anyway, but a £2k fine for wasting an ambulance and A&E's time would give most people considerable pause for thought, especially if it was taken straight from their payslip in the form of a national insurance fine. "oh but I can't pay my mortgage payment or feed my family this month" tough, you shouldn't have got so pissed you couldn't look after yourself then.