news
Rise in ambo calls
due to alcohol
WA figures show more young people
are requiring emergency assistance
after becoming intoxicated.
I
n 2016, an average of 14 ambulances per day were called
for alcohol intoxication in Western Australia. This figure
is up from the year before and represents an 11 per cent
increase since 2014.
The statewide ambulance call-out figures, released
by St John Ambulance WA and the McCusker Centre for
Action on Alcohol and Youth, show there was a total of
5063 ambulance requests related to alcohol in 2016, up from
4903 alcohol call-outs in 2015 and 4552 recorded in 2014.
The 2016 calls resulted in 3239 people being taken to hospital.
The data also revealed there were more young people
who required urgent medical assistance due to alcohol
intoxication, with 465 cases of young people aged 18 or
younger – including two under 12 – compared to a total
of 399 call-outs in 2015.
“Alcohol can cause a lot of harm for those in the younger
age group, and it can cause lasting brain changes, affecting
mood, ability to learn and so on,” said St John Ambulance WA
metropolitan ambulance general manager James Sherriff.
“We’d encourage parents to educate their children more
about the dangers of using alcohol.”
McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth executive
officer Julia Stafford said while the initial findings of the 2016
National Drug Strategy Household Survey released this month
included welcome news that more young people are choosing
not to drink, are delaying starting to drink and are drinking at
less risky levels, these new figures highlight that governments
and communities must not become complacent.
“I would urge the WA government to ensure that reducing
harm from alcohol remains a priority, particularly as they draft
reforms to WA’s liquor laws,” Stafford said. “We welcome the
government’s ongoing commitment to informing parents and
others that no one should provide alcohol to under-18s.” ■
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