Skiers warned over piste boozing

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Heavy drinking on the piste that can lead to serious skiing accidents and hefty travel insurance claims is being targeted in a Foreign Office campaign.

Focussed on French Alps resorts, it stresses the dangers of high-altitude alcohol consumption and features advice printed on posters, fliers and beer mats.

The campaign has been launched by Sir Peter Westmacott, Britain's ambassador to France, who said that he is keen to discourage the "let's get p***** on the piste" attitude.

He said: "There has been an increase in recent years in the number of people who have taken the mixture of booze and skiing as part of a package and got into trouble with it."

It follows the death of a 20-year-old Durham University student Rachel Ward after she got lost on her way home and fell into a river. She was not a heavy drinker, and had left the pub early the night she died.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

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