CHILDREN AT RISK DUE TO BINGE DRINKING CULTURE
January 11, 2008 4:53 PM
Nick Harvey MP has expressed growing concern at the number of children admitted to accident and emergency departments in hospitals suffering from alcohol related problems.
A&E Departments in the South West dealt with 53 cases of children below the age of 14 who had consumed dangerous levels of alcohol in 2005-6, the period for which the latest figures are available. This came to light in a Parliamentary Question asked by Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Norman Lamb MP.
Nick Harvey says, 'These are very worrying figures and a frightening sign of how out of control the binge drinking culture in this country has become.
'As well as causing chaos in A&Es on Friday nights and anti-social behaviour, irresponsible drinking results in serious long-term health problems. Problem start at an early age, yet the Government is failing to focus on the young who are seriously at risk.
'A fresh look at tackling the growing problem of excessive drinking is long overdue. A good start would be cracking down on those shops that sell alcohol to underage children. Fortunately locally we have some good initiatives underway.
'We also need to consider putting a halt to supermarkets selling drinks at rock bottom prices - with no thought as to the knock on effects this has socially or economically.'
Further Information
The number of alcohol-related emergency hospital admissions in the Westcountry has spiraled by 50 per cent in just five years. North Devon has witnessed the sharpest increase at 76 per cent.
Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, believe two things may have contributed to this. The first is the extended opening hours of licensed premises; the second is doctors tend to be cautious, so they will admit those intoxicated.
According to Add Action, the national alcohol and drug charity, which has called for an end to the sale of cheap alcohol in shops, the Westcountry is one of the best-served regions in England when it comes to treatment for such problems.
Y-Smart, which helps young people with alcohol and drug problems, does not believe North Devon is any worse than anywhere else in the UK.
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