Over 170 schoolchildren hospitalised by binge drinking

Over 170 schoolchildren hospitalised by binge drinking

More than 170 schoolchildren, mostly girls, have been admitted to Derriford Hospital with serious illnesses and injuries caused by binge drinking, The Plymouth Herald has revealed.

Some of the youngsters, all aged under 16, had even mixed the booze with drugs, including either cannabis, antidepressants, paracetamol, steroids or even, in one case, pesticides.

They needed treatment for broken bones, eye and nose injuries, head wounds, and even damaged genitalia.

Several of the under-age drinkers had to be treated for 'poisoning' because of their booze and drug intake. And by far the biggest problem, accounting for more than half the cases, was 'acute intoxication' - basically that the children were too drunk to look after themselves. The figures were released to The Plymouth Herald under the Freedom of Information Act.

More than 170 schoolchildren hospitalised by drinking (Plymouth Herald, 4 February 2008)