Government accused of creating 'teenage timebomb' over young people's health » Health » 24dash.com

The Government was accused of creating a "teenage timebomb" today by neglecting young people's health.

The Tories warned that the number of teens being admitted to hospital for alcohol or smoking related problems has soared in England since 2000.

There has also been a sharp rise in the level of sexually transmitted infections and abortions, while nearly a third of children now start their teenage years overweight.

The details were compiled by the Tories using official statistics.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Labour are neglecting a forgotten generation of teenagers.

"It's a sad indictment of our broken society that so many are turning to things like drug and alcohol abuse at such a young age.

"The Government needs to take action now, before it's too late. The NHS needs a robust strategy to improve public health - like the one we proposed last year, with ring-fenced budgets and proper accountability. And we must do more to tackle the wider causes of social breakdown.

"That means we need to strengthen families, radically reform the welfare system and provide more good school places."

According to the Conservatives, the number of teens admitted to hospital for alcohol abuse has risen by 51% since 2000 to nearly 12,700 a year, while admissions for conditions linked to smoking went up by 41% to more than 16,200.

The number of youngsters treated for sexually transmitted infections - such as chlamydia and herpes - has rocketed by 21% since 2003 to more than 53,000 annually, and abortions have gone up 15% to some 43,800 annually over the same period.

The cost of hospital treatment for the teens is estimated at £130m per year - up from around £100m in 2000. But that figure does not include the bill for dealing with obese patients, as figures are not broken down by age.

Nearly 140,000 of children starting year 6 were recorded as overweight or obese in 2006-7 - some 31% of the total.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "Ensuring young people are in good health is a top Government priority which is why we are working hard on a large number of initiatives to deal with this problem.

"More people are accessing services as there is more top quality help available and waiting lists at their lowest level since records began."

She said clearer health information was needed to tell people about the effect alcohol consumption can have on children and young people.

"For this reason the Chief Medical Officer, is producing a new set of guidelines on young people and alcohol."

She added that the numbers of smokers is at the lowest level ever due to smoke-free legislation and initiatives to help people to quit.

The spokeswoman added that the NHS is working to improve sexual health, particularly among young people.

"We have expanded the range of services that are available including provision in pharmacies, youth services and colleges and a 15 to 24-year-old chlamydia screening programme," she said.