asked the Minister for Health the action he intends to take to reduce the alarming increase in young people being admitted to hospital for alcoholism; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Alcoholism.
354.
An extensive range of inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities is available through the psychiatric services for persons, including young people, suffering from alcoholism. Increasingly, services are being provided on an outpatient basis within the community thus reducing the demand and need for inpatient services. It would be my intention that the treatment services, which would involve preventive strategies, should continue to develop along these lines. In addition, the Health Education Bureau have recently launched a special alcohol education programme for second level schools. The aim of the programme is to develop a responsible attitude in young people to the use of alcohol. The programme is designed to be used in the first four years of second level education and the bureau, with the co-operation of the Department of Education, has trained a core group of teachers to implement it in their schools. These teachers are also available to train other teachers in the use of the programme.
The bureau have also devised an integrated programme of health education materials for use up to intermediate certificate level in second level schools. Substance abuse, which includes alcohol, is one of the subjects in this programme.
A package of 16 Fact Sheets on Alcohol has also been produced by the Health Education Bureau and is available on request.