§ Mr. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many male and how many female patients under the age of 25 years have been treated for alcoholism in each of the last five years; and what measures the National Health Service is taking to combat this problem.
§ Sir George YoungThe information is not available in the form requested. The number of admissions to mental illness hospitals and units in England of men and women aged under 25 with alcohol problems in the period 1975–1979, is as follows.
Care in Action has emphasised that, in dealing with problems such as alcohol missuse, health authorities should act flexibly to take account of local needs and circumstances and to use their limited resources as effectively and economically as possible.
131W
Under 25 England 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Males 291 338 376 395 363 Females 116 148 158 164 160 Notes:
1. These figures cover those with primary diagnosis of alcoholic psychosis or alcohol dependence syndrome (1979) or alcoholism excluding alcoholism with personality disorders (1970–78);
2. Figures for 1979 are not fully comparable with those for earlier years because of:
- (a) changes in the definition of primary diagnosis;
- (b) change in the classification of the diseases.