Ysbyty Glan Clwyd dealing with more drunk girls than boys

Aug 5 2008 By Martin Williams

BINGE-DRINKING teenage girls have given parents and paramedics more headaches than their male counterparts over the past five years, according to figures from Ysbyty Glan Clwyd’s accident and emergency department.

And when it comes to drug-related incidents, girls under 18 also spend more time in the Bodelwyddan hospital than their male counterparts.

According to figures unearthed by the Visitor this week, there has been a rise in the number of under-age drinkers spending time recovering from alcohol and drug-related treatment at the hospital.

This year there have already been 21 youngsters treated for alcohol intoxication, compared to 61 last year. Of the 21, 16 were girls. The trend was the same in 2007, with 42 of the 61 being female.

Local politicians have voiced their concerns, including Clwyd West AM Darren Millar.

"These figures clearly demonstrate that the trend for an increasing number of alcohol-fuelled admissions at A&E continues," he said.

"This puts a serious strain on NHS resources and increases the risk of violence against NHS staff. It cannot be allowed to continue.

"It would be interesting to know what the age of those admitted was. I suspect that many were younger people who should not have access to alcohol in the first place.

"There needs to be a joined-up approach to ensure that this issue is tackled properly."

Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane added: "Of course it is worrying that any under-18 is being admitted or treated in hospital for alcohol-related issues.

"I think more needs to be done to prevent youngsters from getting access to alcohol in the first place.

"I know North Wales Police and Denbighshire County Council do carry out spot checks on shops and pubs to see if they are breaking the law and I would like to see this carried out more often.

"More often than not alcohol is linked to anti-social behaviour and by tackling the sale of alcohol to minors we can also make inroads into tackling this."

Conwy and Denbighshire NHS Trust says a diagnosis of alcohol- related treatment is based on whether the patient is behaving as if intoxicated, if there is a confirmed history, or a smell of alcohol.

They do not measure alcohol level unless required for active treatment, and say stomach-pumping (gastric lavage) has not been used by any A&E consultant at Glan Clwyd on any patient aged under 18 within the last five years.

With regards to drug-related treatment, the Trust’s FOI department revealed the hospital does not collect data specifically identifying recreational/suspected recreational drug use (eg narcotics, Ecstasy etc) as distinct from overdose (deliberate overdose of paracetamol/Diazepam etc).

"The data which the Trust does record relates to ‘Poisoning – Drugs’, which would cover a range of presenting conditions," said a spokesman.

"The figures provided can only give a broad indication of the cause of attendance at A&E."

Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones was disgusted with the numbers and has called for tougher penalties for licensees and shop owners who serve alcohol to those under 18 years of age.

"It is disappointing to see trends increasing in regard to alcohol- related incidents that require attendance at A&E, in particular the number of women," said Mrs Jones.

"We must take action against the increasing trends to sell alcohol widely and to curb the BOGOFs (buy one, get one free).

The point was reinforced by Clwyd West MP David Jones.

"The figures for females are particularly worrying; medical evidence suggests that women are more susceptible to alcohol-related damage than men," he said.

"Although the data is not hugely detailed, it does suggest the growth of a drinking culture, particularly among women, which is mirrored in other parts of the country.

"The Government’s liberalisation of licensing hours is partly to blame for this phenomenon," he added.