WE all know that too many adults in East Lancashire are drinking more alcohol than they should.
The evidence is there to see on our streets especially during a spell of the sort of weather we have had during the past week.
Crimes committed by drunks take up a lot of police time and also put extra strains on our already hard-pressed medics who have to try to patch up people involved in mishaps and brawls.
However, if that is bad news, the figures for children with alcohol-related problems are truly frightening.
A total of 184 under-age drinkers have had to be taken to Royal Blackburn or Burnley General hospitals in the past three years. And although the latest annual figure of 44 for 2011/12 was down on the previous year, one of the casualties was only 10 years old.
One East Lancashire expert points out that for £5, young people can buy more than the recommended weekly alcohol intake for an adult.
It’s a great shame that government moves to introduce minimum pricing seem to have stalled because such quantities of booze should be too dear for children to buy with pocket money.
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