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Alcohol can cause cirrhosis of the liver
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The new figures from parliamentary answers provide a breakdown by age group of the total number of cases of alcohol related cirrhosis of the liver, which has also soared nearly threefold.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley MP said: “The UK has one of the worst binge drinking problems in Europe. Ministers should have woken up to this issue and taken action years ago.
“It is especially worrying to think how early these young people must have started drinking to get so ill.
“These tragic cases are symptomatic of the serious and growing problem of underage drinking.
“Health professionals have repeatedly warned ministers about the increasing danger of binge drinking amongst our young people, but too little has been done.
“The Government’s obsession with hospital waiting times means it has ignored prevention. The root causes of ill-health must be understood and the balance shifted towards prevention rather than cure.”
