THE numbers of young people in the capital admitted to hospitals with alcohol-related illnesses has increased by more than 50 per cent in five years.
The High and Lows report from the Greater London Alcohol and Drug Alliance shows the number of 11 to 18 years old admitted to hospital through alcohol increased from 1,171 in 2002/03, to 1,769 in 2006/07.
The report also claims fewer young Londoners are using drugs, particularly cocaine. The proportion of young Londoners who reported using cocaine is down from 7.1 per cent in 2005-06 to 4.7 per cent in 2007-08.
And the report shows the proportion of young Londoners aged 16 to 24 who reported using any drug decreased from 20.3 per cent to 17.8 per cent between 2005/06 and 2007/08.
However the report states: “The numbers of people entering structured drug treatment has increased significantly since 2003/04, particularly in Inner London.
"White, male opiate users continue to make up the majority of those in treatment.”
The Greater London Alcohol and Drug Alliance is a network of organisations analysing trends and sharing information to reduce alcohol and drug problems in London.
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