Youth alcohol strife tackled

Young Tasmanians are drinking harder, going to school drunk and getting hospitalised for alcohol-related problems in greater numbers, a forum has heard.
Police, health, government and hotel industry members met in Hobart yesterday to tackle alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour.

National Drug Research Institute director Steve Allsop told the forum the numbers of young people consuming alcohol had dropped but they were drinking at riskier levels.

He said 50 Australians under the age of 18 died from alcohol-related problems each year.

Professor Allsop said while parents had a big role to play, a range of responses were needed to address the problem.

Tasmania's Alcohol and Drug Service clinical director Adrian Reynolds agreed the levels of drinking and harmful health effects were too high.

"Young people are drinking to intoxication in higher levels," he said.

He said there was a mixed response from hotels as to the responsible serving of alcohol.

"We need to be more consistent about not serving people who are intoxicated," Dr Reynolds said.

The Royal Hobart Hospital has also seen an increase in the number of patients being admitted with alcohol-related problems since 2000.

Department of Emergency Medicine director Tony Lawler said the lineal increase suggested the trend would continue over the next few years.

He said there was also an increase in the number of children aged 13 to 16 being admitted for alcohol-related problems.

"These patients require a significant amount of time because they require regular observation," he said.

Australian Hotels Association executive director Steve Old said his members were often targeted as the "bad guys" but they fully endorsed responsible drinking.

He said education programs in schools were needed to break an ingrained culture of drinking.

Mr Old retold one anecdote from a teacher whose Year 8 student drank alcohol before coming to school.

"Education is the key and it needs to include teachers at school and parents at home."

Police Commissioner Jack Johnston said he had no doubt drinking patterns of young people had changed.

"Police officers are sick and tired of being used as punching bags," he said.

"We would like to see steps being taken to change and modify their behaviour."

He said the outcomes of the forum would help the development of an alcohol action plan.

The Mercury