Lib-Dems worried by under-age drink stats

BOOZY youngsters were admitted to accident and emergency departments across the region almost 200 times last year, new figures from Pennine Acute Trust show.

In total, the hospitals in Oldham, Bury, North Manchester and Rochdale treated 3,389 people for alcohol-related illnesses in 2006-07.

However, despite the high figures, there has been a reduction in all drink admissions compared with the previous year when 126 under-16s and 93 16 to 17-year-olds were admitted and a total of 3,435 incidents.

Nationally, over the past five years, 648 under-10s have hospitalised because of alcohol, plus 24,000 under-16s and 12,500 aged 16 to 17.

The Lib-Dems seized on the figures at the launch of their strategy to tackle underage and binge drinking.

Culture spokesman Don Foster said the Government had completely failed to tackle Britain’s growing alcohol problem and called for an end to irresponsible drink promotions by introducing a minimum price for alcohol.

He said: “For so many children to be hospitalised is scandalous.

“Ministers must conduct an urgent review of the systems in place which are meant to ensure that children cannot have access to such harmful substances.

“Only a complete change to our drinking culture will prevent a whole generation from being condemned to serious illnesses.”

Mr Foster’s comments came as MPs called for a ban on happy-hour drink promotions and an end to supermarkets selling alcohol at a loss.

The Home Affairs Select Committee urged ministers to clamp down on irresponsible bars and pubs, and for previously voluntary codes of conduct for the drinks industry to be legally enforceable.

Chairman Keith Vaz said: “We cannot have on one hand a world of alcohol promotions for profit that fuels surges of crime and disorder, and on the other the police diverting all their resources to cope with it.”