Fifteen children a day attend Scottish emergency departments as result of drinking alcohol

About 15 children a day in Scotland under the age of 17 are arriving at hospital emergency departments drunk and in need of treatment.

The extent of the problem has been shown in an audit carried out at all 21 emergency departments in Scotland over six weeks. It found that 648 children under the age of 17 needed help for the effects of drinking alcohol, including 15 aged under 12 and one as young as eight. They had consumed an average of 13 units of alcohol—the equivalent of six pints of lager—in the 24 hours before attendance.

William Morrison, a consultant in emergency medicine who chaired the group that carried out the survey, said the figures tell a stark tale of Scotland’s serious alcohol problem.

“Many people will be shocked to learn that so many children, even as young as eight, are being treated in emergency departments for alcohol misuse, but the sad fact is these are not isolated cases. More than a dozen under 12s and more than 600 under 17s were treated.

“These figures represent the most shocking finding of our work, but whether it is in the number of assaults, in cases of self harm, or in the impact on young people we see the same picture emerging. Alcohol plays a significant role in a myriad of social problems and inflicts an incalculable human cost.”

Binge drinking has long been a subject of concern in Scotland, and the Scottish government is due to publish details shortly of its national strategy to combat alcohol abuse.

The audit was carried out by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, whose report recommends that further studies be carried out into the extent of alcohol misuse among children “to provide greater accuracy of data.” It also recommends that local arrangements be put in place to ensure that children who misuse alcohol can be referred to reliable services.

The audit also found that:

• Most alcohol related attendances in emergency departments involved people aged under 30

• Alcohol is involved in 70% of cases of assault seen in emergency departments, and

• Almost two thirds of men and half of women who self harm had been drinking before their attendance.