DOCTORS TREATING DRINKERS AGED 10
Revealed: Scandal of our boozing children with girls twice as likely to have problem
CHILDREN as young as ten are being referred to doctors for specialist advice about possible problem drinking. Healthcare professionals at Scotland’s schools, social services, youth workers, GP surgeries and hospitals are trained to spot the signs of alcohol abuse and refer people for help from a trained medic.
It has now emerged that hundreds of under-18s have received advice in the past year under the Alcohol Brief Interventions scheme (ABI). Shockingly, twice as many girls than boys have received this help.
The scheme was created to allow medical professionals to warn adults about potentially harmful levels of alcohol consumption and encourage them to cut down.
But figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws show that 423 under-18s were given the advice
in the year 2014-15. But only three Scots health boards provided age breakdowns, meaning thousands of children across Scotland could be putting themselves in danger.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: ‘It’s clearly very concerning for children this young to require help for anything relating to alcohol.
‘ABIs were seen as a welcome option for GPs where there was legitimate concern over an adult’s drinking. The fact that people as young as ten are now being included shows just how deep-rooted and complex Scotland’s relationship with alcohol is.’
NHS Lothian reported the youngest child to be given an ABI was only ten, while others were aged 11, 14 and 15.
Medics at NHS Forth Valley advised nine girls and five boys aged 13 and under. A total of 36 youngsters aged 15 received an ABI in the course of the year.
In Lanarkshire, the youngest child feared to be drinking dangerously was 13. The region’s statistics show 83 girls were spoken to by medical staff compared with 36 boys. Other areas of the country saw a similar gender trend, something partly blamed on the ‘ladette’ drinking culture.
Professor Vincent Egan of Nottingham University said: ‘Lots of drinks are designed with young women and girls in mind, like sweet alcopops.
‘Alcohol is now normalised as a way to show you are enjoying yourself. For girls, it could be perceived as sophisticated, about girl power; if they are feeling self-conscious it is a way of escaping that.’
In the Forth Valley area, staff intervened in 179 cases involving girls and 87 involving boys under the age of 18. In the NHS Lothian area, at least 25 girls and 13 boys were feared to be drinking too much.
Jennifer Curran of Alcohol Focus Scotland warned: ‘Young drinkers risk ending up in hospital, having an accident and being a victim of crime, as well as affecting their education, relationships and future prospects.’ ABIs are carried out in GP surgeries, A&E units and in maternity wards.
A spokesman for NHS Forth Valley said 266 out of 10,591 ABIs last year were given to children. An NHS Lanarkshire spokesman said an ABI allowed medical staff to provide ‘the right advice and support’.
NHS Lothian said it works with schools and charities to provide youngsters with information on alcohol.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We’ve strengthened laws to crack down on those who sell alcohol to under-18s, improved education in schools and have published guidance for parents to talk about alcohol and highlight the importance of the example they are setting to our young people.
‘Latest figures from the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey shows that the proportion of 13 and 15year-olds who reported drinking alcohol in the last week is at the lowest level since 1990. Whilst these are encouraging statistics, it is clear we cannot be complacent and we will continue to work to protect young people from the harm caused by alcohol misuse.’