Merseyside and the Metropolitan Police District had the highest rates of drunk offenders, at 552 and 474 per 100,000 population, respectively. Peak ages of known offending for drunkenness were 19 years for females and 20 years for males. The percentage of offenders cautioned for drunkenness offenses increased from 1 percent in 1982 to 65 percent in 1992. The number of persons under 18 found guilty of or cautioned for buying alcohol under the Licensing Act of 1964 declined from 2,310 in 1989 to 630 in 1992. The number found guilty of or cautioned for selling alcohol to persons under 18 fell from 1,050 to 280 over the same period. The rise in cautioning for drunkenness was offset by a decrease in the use of fines. 11 notes, 10 tables, and 5 figures