Government shamed on alcohol abuse
The Conservatives condemned the Government for failing to respond to the problems of alcohol abuse after new figures revealed almost 20,000 children have been treated in hospital for drink-related problems in six years.
Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley said the statistics demonstrate "the utter failure of the Government's response to alcohol-related disorders".
"The cost to the NHS is huge," he said. "We need better information about alcohol abuse.
"And underage drinkers should be empowered to resist peer pressure."
The figures, which suggest the problem is escalating, were revealed by Health Minister Liam Byrne in a Parliamentary written answer, according to the News of the World.
In 1998, 2,455 children aged 11 to 15 were admitted for mental or physical problems due to drinking alcohol but last year the figure increased to 3,216, the paper reports.
Three children between 1998 and 2004 drank so much they needed treatment for cirrhosis of the liver. Another 4,921 needed hospital treatment for severe alcohol poisoning.
In total, 19,563 were treated in hospital for alcohol-related problems between 1998 and 2004.
Last week, a study revealed underage drinkers try to buy alcohol on average once every five seconds across the UK.
Underage drinking is not limited to inner cities or urban areas. One retailer experienced more problems in the shires than in the cities, the survey for retail lawyers Bond Pearce found.
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