A&E admissions for alcohol poisoning double with teen girls most at risk

  • alcohol

Admissions to A&E for alcohol poisoning has doubled in five years and figures show that teen girls are more at risk from binge drinking.

The number of teenage girls aged 15-19 going to A&E with suspected alcohol poisoning in 2013/14 was nearly 38% higher than boys in the same age range, according to a study by the Nuffield Trust.

Overall, there was a 104% increase in A&E attendance rates last year from 2008/9, the study showed.

ITV News' Rebecca Barry reports:

In all other age categories, A&E attendances relating to alcohol were higher among men.

But young people aged 15-24 had the highest rate of alcohol poisoning, the research showed.

Graph showing significantly more admissions of young women compared to their male counterparts (blue line). Credit: Nuffield Trust

The study also found people living in poorer areas were more four times more likely to be admitted to hospital for alcohol-related problems.

However, the study did not include accidents such as falls related to alcohol intake and it is thought the true number of admissions could be higher.

Claire Currie, co-author of the report, said alcohol was putting on pressure to an already stretched NHS.