Australia: Rise in Alcohol Hospitalization of Minors
Increasing binge alcohol use is causing a rise in alcohol related hospitalization of minors in Queensland, Australia. On average, about 20 minors end up in hospital every week due to alcohol.
Queensland Health data shows in 2018, 975 underage alcohol users ended up in Queensland emergency departments (EDs). This is an increase from 762 in 2014. The number of 12- to 17-year-olds showing up in Queensland emergency departments as a result of alcohol consumption has increased by 28% since 2014.
ED data only scratch the surface of the problem. Alcohol related presentations are recorded in the emergency department only if the primary diagnosis was alcohol intoxication, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, alcoholic hallucinations or alcoholic gastritis. This means many cases relating to alcohol may go unrecorded in the ED and only be available through investigation. For example, if a patient arrived with head injuries from a fall they sustained while under the influence, the primary diagnosis may have been trauma specific.
The latest data prompted Health Minister Steven Miles and Queensland Health to issue a warning about the lifelong damage caused by early and heavy alcohol use.
The numbers are rising, and that’s not even considering the number of young people who suffer injuries while under the influence,” said Health Minister Steven Miles as per The Sydney Morning Herald.
Young people are more likely to behave dangerously and hurt themselves while [using alcohol], by bingeing and taking more risks.”
Furthermore, Data from Cancer Council Queensland’s 2017 Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug survey showed about 175,000 high school students in Queensland had consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months. Of that 55% are between 14 and 15 years old and 78% are 16 to 17 years old.
Young brains continue to grow up until the age of 25, and drinking alcohol while your brain is developing might cause irreparable damage,” said Health Minister Steven Miles as per The Sydney Morning Herald.
—
For further reading:
Australian-First Study Sheds More Light On Factors Influencing Youth Alcohol Use
