There's four people in this hostel we're sitting in who are about to die and it's directly because of super strength lager". The three-litre bottle contains 24 units of alcohol – 10 units more than the recommended weekly amount for an adult. “I only buy it if I’ve got a little bit of money,” explains Zac, who is 42 and has been homeless since he was 15. Some days he will drink two or three bottles. “They give me such a headache. But if I’ve got money I’ll buy a normal drink.”

They feel that street drinking schools will no longer congregate when these drinks aren't available. Super strength fears With drug addictions there are substitutes available, such as methadone – but not with alcohol. This places significant demands on mental health services at a time when homelessness is on the rise. As many as one in 25 people is classed as homeless in the worst-affected areas of England, according to a survey for Shelter last week. If on inspection there is any damage or shortage it is imperative that this is noted on the delivery note at the time of delivery as claims will not be considered if this is not completed. Produced from dried apple pulp and corn syrup, white cider, which bears little resemblance to organic cider, is attractive not just to the homeless but also younger drinkers on a budget. David Poley, its Chief Executive says: "There's no reason really to suppose that these drinks don't have a market amongst responsible adult drinkers.Figures compiled by outreach workers say London has 8,108 rough sleepers. Of these, 44% have an alcohol problem, and many consume super- strength drinks. The homeless charity Thames Reach estimates that 98% of its clients drink high-strength ciders and beers. Of the 4,000 individuals that Thames Reach worked with in 2005, 47% were found to have an alcohol misuse problem and around 800 individuals were addicted to super strength lagers and ciders. The social side effects of super strength are of such concern to Westminster and Ealing Councils that they have persuaded large supermarkets to remove these drinks from their shelves. Inbev, who manufacture "Tennents Super", have just announced that they are reducing the size of their cans. Emma Williamson, principal clinical psychologist with the south London and Maudsley NHS Trust, said homeless people were difficult to treat for alcohol addiction. “They really struggle to trust and form relationships and engage in services in a planned way,” she said.

In the Commons an Early Day Motion tabled by Battersea MP Martin Linton is calling on the Government to curb the sale of super strength lagers by taxing them at a higher rate. Thames Reach is calling for a new 6% strength ceiling on the alcohol content for canned and bottled super strength lagers and ciders. So, for an extra 50 pence, you get an extra litre,” points out Martin, who quit the drinks after they gave him a loss of appetite and made him “moody”.

I would have thought that any self-respecting drinks company would want nothing to do with these drinks," says Jeremy Swain. In April 2008 InBev UK announced that after careful consideration they would no longer be producing Tennent's Super in 500ml cans - and they will be moving to 440ml in the first quarter of 2008. The main popular super strength lagers at 9%, all brewed by major drinks companies, include Tennent's Super, Carlsberg Special Brew, Skol Super and Kestrel Super.

Lobbyists say super strength drinks contribute to premature deaths and the phenomenon of 'young-olds' where people exhibit the health problems of people 20-30 years older than their biological age. An alternative solution – advocated by many addiction charities – has been to use increased pricing.The World Health Organisation claims that “a large body of literature has found raising the price of alcohol to be effective in reducing harmful use of alcohol among drinkers”. Six years ago, the government increased the duty on super-strength lagers. The consumption of super-strength beer fell by a quarter as a result. But, because of resistance from cider manufacturers, the government did not extend the rise to super-strength ciders. Thames Reach's frontline services say they have considerable evidence of the rapid deterioration in health caused by super strength alcohol. Yes, they are also consumed by people with alcohol dependency problems - that does not necessarily mean that they are irresponsibly marketed". A recent survey of deaths among Thames Reach’s hostel residents found that 10 out of the 16 in the past year were directly attributable to super-strength drinks. The previous year, 11 out of 14 deaths were blamed on the drinks. They are the kind of statistics that, ahead of the budget, have led the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, a group of more than 50 non-governmental organisations, to call for a rise in duty on high-strength ciders as an encouragement to switch to weaker – and cheaper – products.

It says, "Tennent's Super is brewed to be enjoyed in moderation. It is the individuals responsibility to monitor the number of units of alcohol that they drink."