Binge drinking amongst young Brit's on the rise

According to experts in the UK, hospitals are being forced to treat record numbers of young people admitted to hospital for drink-related diseases.

They say the numbers continue to rise, with record numbers needing treatment for a range of problems.

The experts say that the binge drinking culture, the relative cheapness of alcohol and longer opening hours, have all had a part to play in the toll that alcohol is taking on the health of British youth.

In new official figures released to the Liberal Democrats, it is shown that the number admitted to hospital in 2004-05 has risen by 15 per cent since 1996-97.

It seems that 4,809 people under 18 received in-patient care in 2004-2005 compared with 4,173 eight years before.

The illnesses included alcohol-related liver disease including cirrhosis, mental behaviour disorders and the toxic effects of drinking.

It appears that some teenagers and children drank so much that they poisoned themselves.

There was also a 30 per cent increase in the number of adults admitted to hospital for drink-related disorders, which rose from 35,740 to 46,299.

The health spokesman for the Liberal Democrats' Paul Burstow, says the figures show, the binge drinking culture is leading to more and more people being admitted to hospital as a result of having too much to drink.

Mr Burstow is concerned that Government pressure on primary care trusts to curb spending could impact on as alcohol treatment services.

He believes any diversion of resources away from programmes that tackle the problem drinking culture will only create huge problems in the future.

Numerous reports throughout the year have illustrated the growing alcohol problem; a NHS survey earlier in the year showed that the number of children under 15 buying alcohol illegally had doubled in 15 years.

The annual survey of drinking, drug taking and smoking among 11- to 15-year-olds showed that little progress was made last year in curbing damaging habits, and it seems that girls are rapidly catching up with boys in their drinking habits.

According to the researchers they found that of those who had alcohol in the previous week, 50 per cent of girls said they had been drunk, compared with 42 per cent of boys.

While a poll in October of 2,000 indicated that a quarter of all adults, 11 million people, were regularly binge drinking.