Thaindian News

London, Feb 22 (ANI): Experts have blamed parents after a recent survey revealed that Brit children aged just five are being treated in hospital for drinking dangerous levels of alcohol.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospital’s NHS Trust had revealed that it treated four children aged five over alcohol abuses.

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, reports the Daily Star.

Another 10 under-fives in the northeast needed medical help for their drinking in just five years.

And 1,754 under-18s who saw medics in the region had alcohol in their system, including 22 who were under 10.

“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,” said Alcohol Concern chief executive Don Shenker.

“They should treat it like any other household hazardous material,” he said.

Meanwhile, primary school pupils have told a health visitor their favourite tipple was vodka-based alcopop WKD.

“We asked Year Six girls what was their favourite drink. WKD was by far the most popular. Every time you give a kid one of those you are giving them more than a pub measure of spirit,” said Ray Hatter, from NHS South East Essex.

More than 600 under-age drinkers were picked up around Brighton and Hove in just six months last year and officials discovered a nine-year-old boy who was already an alcoholic.

“When police stop people in this area, overwhelmingly they find the alcohol has come from home, either with the knowledge of the parents or nicked from home,” said Hatter.

“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,” said Brighton and Hove director of public health Tom Scanlon. (ANI)