21 February 2011
A 14–year–old overdosed on heroin
165 under 17s treated
Nine–year–old boy diagnosed alcoholic
Dangerous: Six young patients treated in Sussex for acute intoxication were under 10 (file photo) Brighton and Sussex University Hospital's NHS Trust said the youngsters were among 165 youths under 17 treated because of mental and behavioural disorders over drink or drugs in the last five years.
Another six of the young patients treated for acute intoxication were under 10 and a tragic 14–year–old was admitted after overdosing on heroin.
It is not known how the children got hold of the alcohol, what they drank or how ill they were.
The trust runs Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital, the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital on the same site, and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.
The revelations come after Brighton and Hove Council told how anti–social behaviour officers found a nine–year–old boy who was already an alcoholic living in a dysfunctional and highly anti–social single parent family in Hove.
A recent Brighton and Hove survey revealed 58 per cent of 10 to 15–year–olds in the city had drunk alcohol, while one in seven had been drunk at some point.
Alcohol Concern chief executive Don Shenker said: 'It is extremely worrying and should ring alarm bells to parents.
'They must ensure they have complete control over how much alcohol is in the house and how they are storing it. They should always make sure they are not leaving it where their children can get it, and treat it like any other household hazardous material.'
A Brighton council spokesman said Sussex Police officers actively sought out gangs of children drinking in public places to speak to them about the dangers of alcohol while other campaigns targeted parents.
Shocking figures: Brighton and Sussex University Hospital's NHS Trust said 165 youths under 17 were treated for mental and behavioural disorders over drink or drugs in the last five years He said: 'Services in the city are designed to engage at the early stages of potential drug or alcohol problems so that they can benefit from the range of services available.'
Brighton and Hove's director of public health Tom Scanlon called for urgent research into the dangers of children being introduced to alcohol so early.
He said: 'We know from research into how drinking during pregnancy has serious health implications on the unborn baby.
'But we have never had cause to look at the effects of sustained drinking on someone so young.
'Children, especially at this age, are not equipped to deal with alcohol, either the physical or the emotional side.'
He said boys were drinking more often than girls but girls were drinking to excess, leaving themselves vulnerable to high risk situations such as pregnancy, sexual assault or injury.
He said: 'Incredibly, it is often their parents who have bought the alcohol. We find great stashes of vodka and strong beer and cider.
'Some parents just seem to think it's a rite of passage to get drunk. They often don't realise the damage their children are doing to their young bodies and to their mental health, especially the girls.'
He said Government plans to introduce a minimum price on alcohol sales would do nothing to disrupt youth drinking.
He said: 'They will still be able to get two litres of cider for 80p. Any child can get hold of that sort of money, it's not going to discourage anyone.
'We need to address the culture of drinking among young people, get to the bottom of why they are doing it earlier and earlier and educate their parents about the risks.'
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