14 primary pupils pay the price for boozing

Campaigners are calling for more to be done to stop youngsters abusing alcohol. Picture posed by model

The figures provide a stark new illustration of how Scotland's battle with the bottle is affecting our youngest residents.

While little is known of the specific cases, the 14 children treated in hospital for alcohol misuse were all aged under 12.

Campaigners said the cases backed their calls for politicians to do more to protect children from alcohol marketing, while the ongoing debate over how to deal with the nation's addiction to drink is set to feature heavily in the Scottish Parliament elections.

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The statistics were revealed for the first time in a parliamentary answer. For over-12s, the situation is much worse, with figures showing around 230 under-18s end up in Lothian hospitals every year.

Anecdotally, a third of 15-year-olds in the area say they drink alcohol at least once a week.

Dr Evelyn Gillan, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: "It is always a concern when children are admitted to hospital because they have drunk alcohol.

"Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that children are protected from the harm caused by alcohol. Children's bodies are still developing and even small amounts of alcohol can have serious consequences.

"Adults should be aware their drinking behaviour influences their children's attitude to alcohol."

A crackdown on underage drinking in Edinburgh previously saw police round up more than a dozen youngsters. That came after reports of an 11-year-old boy who had to be revived in hospital after drinking almost a full bottle of vodka.

The most recent study in Scotland revealed that the average number of units of alcohol consumed in a week by 15-year-olds was 18 units - more than the recommended weekly limit for adult women.

Educating youngsters about alcohol is one of the aims of a new campaign to cut their exposure to advertising. Approximately 800 million is spent each year on the promotion of alcohol in the UK. Much of the advertising is through sponsorship of sporting events which have a large youth following.

Alison Todd, director of policy and practice development at Children 1st, which is supporting the campaign, said: "Alcohol misuse is a blight on our society and it is vulnerable children who are bearing the brunt of its impact," she said.

"We hear from young people who are losing out on their childhoods as a result of their own or their parents' drinking.

"We believe that it is everyone's responsibility to protect children: protecting them from the harmful effects of alcohol advertising would be a huge step forward."

Scotland's top law officer last week hinted that she backed an increase in alcohol prices to help prevent a looming "apocalypse" from soaring drink sales.Elish Angiolini said raising prices was "undoubtedly" a factor in tackling the alcohol problem. But she declined to explicitly back minimum pricing, which the SNP will make a second attempt to introduce if returned to power in May's elections, after its proposals were previously voted down.

Labour, meanwhile, has announced plans to revive Asbos as part of a crackdown on alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour, by introducing Drink Banning Orders.

The issue was also raised at the most recent NHS Lothian board meeting where Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, clinical lead for gastroenterology, said: "It is young people and those living in deprivation who are most affected. Liver disease has always been a disease of deprivation and it has got worse.

"In the 1980s those living in deprived areas were five times more likely to die from cirrhosis of the liver. Today they are 16 times more likely.

"That is who minimum pricing would affect, it would not have an impact in pubs and restaurants - it's people drinking White Lightning in the park."

Dr Alison McCallum, director of public health and health policy, NHS Lothian, said: "All children who present with an alcohol-related diagnosis receive specialist treatment on a case by case basis. It is important to remember that such figures may include accidental consumption of alcohol. We would remind parents to see what simple changes they can make to keep children safe."

Make time to talk

CHILDREN experimenting with alcohol is hardly uncommon, but when taken too far it can be a parent's worst nightmare.

Last year saw paramedics deal with the case of Lothian teen Emily*, who had been left at home while her mother went out for the evening. When she returned home to find that her 15-year-old daughter had drunk herself unconscious and was lying comatose on the sofa, she immediately dialled 999.

She later contacted ParentLine Scotland and was then able to explain to Emily the kind of risks she would have faced had she drunk to excess outside the home. As in many such cases, Emily's parents had recently split up, which was identified as one of the key causes for her excessive drinking.

There are obviously significant risks. Research has shown young people who drink regularly often engage in sexual activity that they then regret. Worse, some are at real risk of sexual harm.

Help organisations stress the importance of communication. If you have a concern about a child or young person's drinking, call ParentLine Scotland on 0800 028 2233 or email [email protected]. Calls are free and confidential.

*name changed to protect identity.

Minimum pricing debate

FOR - 'pricing holds a key role'

Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon:

"Alcohol misuse holds us back. 3000 deaths a year, 40,000 hospital admissions. Countless alcohol-related crimes in communities up and down this country. We all pay the price.

"Faced with the enormity of that challenge, I and the SNP believe we cannot afford not to act.

"Minimum pricing has the backing of doctors, nurses, the police, children's charities, churches, publicans and even some alcohol producers - all of those who work on the frontline and see daily the damage cheap booze is doing.

"Reducing alcohol consumption can save lives, it can ease some of the burden on our emergency services, on the police, on communities who feel the effects of anti-social behaviour that can be fuelled by alcohol, and on families who feel the pressure of and know the pain excessive alcohol consumption can bring.

"Combined with a discount ban, a minimum price of 45 pence would save 80 lives in its first year and 340 lives a year after ten years. When you can exceed the male weekly recommended limit (of consumption) for 3.50, we must take steps.

"Minimum pricing has a key role to play in addressing the harm we do to our society with alcohol."

AGAINST - 'culture change more effective'

Gavin Partington, communications director for the Wine and Spirit Trade Association:

"There are several reasons why we are opposed to minimum pricing, and first and foremost is that we do not believe it will tackle alcohol misuse, which is the objective here.

"We object to government interference in the market and we believe it to be illegal - a similar policy was found to be illegal by a Dutch court 30 years ago.

"A minimum price would impact all consumers of alcohol, most of whom drink responsibly. The issue is the problem minority, the problem drinkers, and that is not to do with what they drink, be it cider, beer wine or spirits.

"A minimum unit price for alcohol would not target those problem drinkers, it would target all drinkers. What's more it is clearly the poor who would be hit hardest. We believe there are other measures that need to be taken here.

"Firstly there needs to be more education about alcohol in school. We need far more rigorous enforcement of the laws we already have to stop problem drinkers. And we also need a culture change.

"When I was younger there was a shame attached to being drunk in public, and I sadly I think that has been lost. We need to get it back. Personal responsibility is a big part of this."