Citation
(2009), "Dangers of drinking?", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 39 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2009.01739bab.024
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Dangers of drinking?
Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 39, Issue 2.
With the number of 13-year-olds who don't drink alcohol currently falling short of the number who do, under-age drinking is a problem this government is failing to tackle, say the Liberal Democrats. In a Parliamentary answer, the party's culture spokesman Don Foster revealed the latest Department of Health statistics, which make sobering reading for the nation's parents.
Hospital admission figures show that 648 under-10s and more than 24,000 under-16s ended up in hospital in England between 2002 and 2007 as a result of drinking excess alcohol. An alcohol-related admission is defined as one where the diagnosis mentions mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol use, or alcoholic liver disease, or the toxic effect of alcohol.
During the last five years, hospitals treated an average of 130 children each year that's a shocking one child under ten every three days. Equally concerning is the fact that the number of 16-17-year-olds taken to A&E for alcohol-related problems has risen by 95 per cent during the same period.
According to Alcohol Concern, there are more than 800,000 children below the age of 15 living in the UK who drink alcohol regularly. So it should be no surprise to learn that here in the UK we have some of the highest levels of under-age drunkenness in Europe.
Many teenagers and children who drink alcohol are, however, unaware of how it might be affecting their health. “Only a complete change to our drinking culture will prevent a whole generation of young people from being condemned to serious alcohol-related illnesses,” said Foster.
According to government sources, the Chief Medical Officer is currently producing a set of guidelines on young people and alcohol as part of the Youth Alcohol Action Plan a means of providing young people and parents with clear medical guidance.