Growing problem of child drinkers

The North East has a major problem with child drinkers, health chiefs have warned.

Official figures show three youngsters aged between 12 and 15 died from the effects of alcohol or had alcohol mentioned on their death certificates since 2002 and at least 85 under-14s were admitted to hospital with alcohol-related illnesses in 2006-07.

In England, six boys and five girls aged between 12 and 15 have died since 2002 – although no deaths were recorded in 2006, the latest 12-month period available.

At least 1,340 drink-related admissions of under-14s were made in England in 2006- 2007 with the Government warning the figures have "shortcomings". Mental disorders, liver disease and the toxic effect of alcohol were among conditions treated.

Soaring numbers of under- 18s have visited Accident and Emergency departments because of alcohol, with 6,084 admissions in 1997-98 compared to 8,266 in 2006-07 in England.

The news comes as the Government faces growing calls to tackle alcohol-fuelled health and crime problems, with more than 3,600 deaths recorded in the region from drink-related conditions since 1997.

Kevan Martin, from the North East Regional Alcohol Forum, was not surprised but was concerned by the latest figures and claimed a Government strategy to cut alcohol harm had delivered nothing.

"The knock-on effects in five or 10 years are frightening. We need a massive culture change, we need lots of education and we need people to look at alcohol as not always being a friendly product," said Mr Martin.

The North East strategic health authority said the figures showed there was a "problem" with the amount drunk by children in the region, reflecting a national picture.

It also said the North East has a proportionally larger alcohol abuse problem across all age groups compared to other areas. But health chiefs stressed extensive work was under way to tackle the problem as part of a plan to improve the region’s health.

A regional office for the safe consumption of alcohol is being set up, charged with dealing with young drinkers.

"Excess alcohol consumption in children and young people is a problem because excess alcohol consumption is a problem in our society as a whole. We will not fix one without fixing the other," added a spokeswoman.

Gordon Brown promised to shut off-licences caught repeatedly caught selling alcohol to under-18s in a fresh drive to combat alcohol-fuelled violence and health problems.

The Prime Minister said a new “two strikes and you’re out” rule would form a key part of the Government’s review of its Licensing Act, which introduced 24-hour drinking, expected to be published today.

“If someone is selling to under-18s they are allowing these problems of binge drinking to grow – and they are giving young people the worst possible start in life,” he said.

Under current rules, shops have to be caught selling alcohol three times in three months before facing the possibility of losing their licence. The number of “test purchases” by youngsters to see if off-licences sell to minors may increase to tackle problem drinking, alongside action to deal with sale of alcohol by supermarkets.

And an advertising campaign warning young people – especially teenage girls – of ruining their looks and health by binge drinking is set to be launched.

Mr Brown made it clear the relaxation of pub opening times will not be reversed despite police in the region facing hundreds more alcohol-related crimes a month following introduction of 24-hour drinking.

Dave McLuckie, chairman of the Cleveland Police Authority, said 24-hour licensing had not had a major effect but warned parents who knew their children were drinking to excess must be brought to book. He called for children to be taken to a place of safety and parents summoned and forced to pay a fine and action taken the judicial process if problems continued.

Newcastle Labour councillor Sir Jeremy Beecham, vice-chairman of the Local Government Association, said greater powers for councils to deal with problem premises was welcome, but stressed enforcement should be pursued rigorously.

Lord Mackenzie, a former Durham chief superintendent, said people drunk to their budgets which was often a problem as far as youngsters were concerned.

Sue Ormesher, from charity Parentline Plus, said thousands of worried parents contacted it about binge drinking every year.

Northumbria Police said it was waiting for the report’s publication, although officers and shopkeepers in Gateshead have already been working together to tackle under-age drinking.

The Journal