Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with cirrhosis of the liver

Tag : alcohol
The biggest increase in hospital visits was among so-calledladettes - the 18- to 24-year-old group of females with a thirstfor grog to match their male rivals - whose numbers increased by200 per cent.
The numbers were drawn from a sample of NSW hospital emergencydepartments with the number of females increasing from 412 to 1233patients a year.
Alcohol-related illnesses and injuries are taking a huge toll onthe NSW health system.
Yesterday NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca said he was soconcerned about the level of these hospitalisations - particularlyamong young people - he would use the health ministers' round-tablemeeting in November to call for a ban on alcohol advertising.
Mr Della Bosca said the time had come to address the issue, withmore than 40,000 drinkers being admitted to NSW hospitals eachyear.
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with cirrhosis of the liver, mental illness, several types of cancer, pancreatitis, fetalgrowth retardation, aggressive behaviour, family disruption andaccidents.
He said all options should be considered, including warning labelson alcohol, no alcohol ads to be screened on television before 9pmor a complete advertising ban.
A ban on alcohol advertising would have huge social ramificationsand change the landscape of Australian sport which is heavilydependent on the grog industry's financial support.
"Binge drinking is caused by a number of factors but advertisingdoes not help," Mr Della Bosca said. "The power of persuasion ofalcohol advertising is the most sophisticated and seductive I haveseen. As a student of the art of persuasion for electioneering, thealcohol industry is almost unbeatable."
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon yesterday said thealcohol-related hospitalisation figures were a cause for concern.She did not rule out toughening advertising laws, saying: "We needto have a comprehensive response to tackle binge drinking inAustralia."
A $1.5 million trial of specialist nurses in six hospital emergencydepartments to deal with drunk or drugged patients is being rolledout by the Rees Government. The nurses will work at theCampbelltown, Liverpool, Royal Prince Alfred, Concord and JohnHunter hospitals and The Children's Hospital at Westmead to dealwith emergency department patients suffering behaviouraldisturbances due to drug or alcohol use.