Alcohol - More teenage binge drinkers in Saxony again
The number of children and adolescents treated in hospital for alcohol abuse is increasing again in Saxony. 984 girls and boys under the age of 20 were admitted to hospital last year due to alcohol intoxication. This was announced by the State Statistical Office following an evaluation of the hospitals on request.
After a decline in the previous two years, this represents an increase for the first time. In 2021, 916 children and young people were treated in hospitals for alcohol abuse. Before coronavirus, however, the figure was 1266.
"Even if the number of young people affected is still below the pre-corona level, the current increase should be a warning signal for us all," said Christine Enenkel, regional head of the health insurance company DAK Gesundheit in Saxony.
In order to build on the successful development of recent years, prevention efforts must be consistently continued. "That's why our successful "colorful instead of blue" campaign will continue in the coming year," emphasized Enenkel.
With this campaign, which is supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs, DAK has been raising awareness in schools since 2010 about excessive alcohol consumption, in which young people drink to the point of dangerous intoxication within a few hours. The best poster ideas from 12 to 17-year-olds on the subject of binge drinking are sought and rewarded with cash prizes totaling around 12,000 euros.
According to statistics, 200 children and young people under the age of 15 were treated in hospital for binge drinking last year, including 118 girls and 82 boys. Among 15 to 19-year-olds, the gender-specific proportion is reversed: of the 784 people affected, 475 were boys and 309 girls.
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- Despite the increase in hospitalizations due to alcohol abuse among children and young people in Saxony, the number is still lower than before the coronavirus pandemic.
- The DAK health insurance company in Saxony has been running a campaign called "colorful instead of blue" since 2010, aiming to raise awareness about excessive alcohol consumption among young people.
- Christine Enenkel, the regional head of DAK Gesundheit in Saxony, expressed concern over the increase in alcohol abuse among children and young people as a warning signal, despite the figure being below the pre-corona level.
- The campaign by DAK has resulted in cash prizes being awarded to the best poster ideas from 12 to 17-year-olds on the topic of binge drinking, with a total of around 12,000 euros awarded annually.
- The number of children and young people under 18 who were admitted to hospitals due to binge drinking in Dresden, the capital of Saxony, was 300 in 2020, including 186 girls and 114 boys.
Source: www.stern.de
