Booze Puts 42,000 Scots In Hospital

Number Of Under-15s Needing Treatment Soars By 10 Per Cent

Nearly 42,000 Scots landed in hospital last year because of drink related illnesses.

And the number of kids under 15 who needed hospital care for problems linked to alcohol rose by almost 10 per cent.

The official figures will add to calls for tougher controls on booze. Health campaigners this week demanded an increase in drink prices and claimed the move would save hundreds of lives a year.

A total of 41,651 Scots had to go to hospital in 2006-7 with drink-related conditions including liver disease.

The figure was seven per cent higher than in 2002, and nearly half the patients were younger than 50.

In 1997-98, the figure was only 30,562.

People in the Western Isles, Glasgow and Inverclyde were most likely to land in hospital after boozing.

Angus, Falkirk and East Dunbartonshire had the lowest rates.

The figures also reveal that more than 1100 people under 20 were hospitalised for acute intoxication, and 428 under-15s were diagnosed with alcohol-related problems.

Around 5000 people over 45 were treated for alcoholic liver disease.

Men aged 50 to 54 were most likely to need treatment and males were three times more likely than females to need hospital care as a result of drinking.

Boozing also took its toll on Scotland's mental health. More than 3000 people needed psychiatric treatment for problems connected to drink.

The most common mental problem was mood disorder, followed by schizophrenia and stress.

Nurses' leaders pointed out that many patients who go to hospital because of drink can be violent and abusive to staff.

Theresa Fyffe, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said: "Alcohol-related violence is a blight on us all."

Britain is the only major developed nation on Earth where deaths from liver disease are increasing, and experts blame our hard-drinking culture.

In 2004, 6751 people died from liver disease in the UK.

Alcohol is to blame for about 50 per cent of liver disease cases in adults.

Health campaigners have urged the Scottish government to set minimum prices for alcoholic drinks.

Pressure group Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems claim that a 10 per cent rise in drink prices would save the lives of 479 men and 265 women in Scotland every year.

Their chairman Dr Bruce Ritson said: "Price is a significant factor in rising consumption levels and associated harm.

"Government action could make a real difference in reducing alcohol harm in Scotland."

The Daily Record