Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Thousands of youngsters cautioned for drink crimes

The number of children committing drink-related crime has rocketed by more than a quarter in four years, figures show.

Nearly 40,000 children have been fined, cautioned or taken to court for abusing alcohol between 2003 and 2007, according to official statistics.

More than 6,000 children aged ten to 15 were handed police cautions or taken to court for abusing alcohol in that period.

This includes 124 children aged between ten and 12.

The number of drunken under-18s being caught by police has increased by 28.4 per cent from 6,764 in 2003 to 8,686 in 2007.

The number of 13 to 15-year-olds being cautioned has risen 17.4 per cent and the proportion of children that age being taken to court has leapt by a fifth.

Home Office figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that a total of 39,714 children aged 17 and under were fined, cautioned or taken to court for drinkfuelled offences between 2003 and 2007 in England and Wales.

The statistics have shocked MPs and alcohol campaigners, who have called for the Government to crack down on supermarkets selling cheap booze and bulk-buy deals at ‘pocket-money prices’.

LibDem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: ‘These figures paint a shocking picture of how many children are being dragged into the criminal justice system through alcohol abuse.

‘The problem appears to be growing worse by leaps and bounds. Ministers talk a lot about the alcohol crisis in this country but have failed to tackle it.

‘Unless we change our drinking culture, we will condemn many children and adolescents to serious long-term alcohol-related illnesses or a life of crime.

‘We must put an end to alcohol being sold at pocket-money prices and start educating our children about the dangers of drink or these figures will continue to get worse.’

Offences include being drunk and disorderly, drink driving and selling alcohol to other children.

An Alcohol Concern spokesman said: ‘The figures are staggering.

‘This is a reflection of how easily and cheaply available alcohol has become for young people.’

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘We are determined to reduce underage drinking through effective education and tough enforcement.’

source: Mail Online

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Alarm over the child drinkers with liver disease

Shops and supermarkets could face new legal curbs on the sale of cut-price alcohol in an attempt to control rising levels of under-age and binge drinking. An audit commissioned by the Home Office has found widespread abuse by drinks retailers of voluntary codes of practice intended to prevent alcohol abuse. The conclusion of the study,….

Choosing the Best Inpatient Heroin Treatment Centers

Heroin dependence can lead to serious side effects, overdose or even death if left untreated. Withdrawal during detox can be challenging and dangerous, inpatient heroin treatment centers provide the safest methods of treatment and care. Consider the safety, cost, location, medical care and effectiveness of inpatient heroin addiction treatment before making a final decision. Heroin….

Survey shows 3.4 million children live with binge drinking parents

More than three million children live in households where at least one of the parents is a binge drinker, a shock survey showed last night. The figure is three times as many as previously thought, according to the study by a charity. The National Addiction Centre also found that one million are living with at….

Adventure helps boy beat alcohol problem

15-year-old who woke each morning wanting a drink has sobered up after therapy involving mountain biking and abseiling. The boy who spent eight months on a Christchurch City Mission adventure therapy course agreed to speak to The Press after an Otago University study into the care of young people with alcohol and drug problems. The….

We treat alcohol like fruit juice now ..this has to stop

The night out was jokingly billed as “the messiest” in town but the reality was nothing to laugh about. Hammered teenagers guzzled strong lager for £1 a pint at the rowdy student club night. Tottering drinkers quickly lost all powers of self-control and wrestled with each other to be served first. Worryingly, these sort of….