Numbers grow at Derriford

Heart has learnt there has been a big rise in the number of Plymouth and South Hams people in their twenties suffering from alcohol related liver damage at Derriford Hospital.

It seems more and more people are starting to drink at an early age, police have told us they are dealing with an increasing number of teenagers who are drunk on the streets.

It is a national problem with liver disease and the number of deaths from liver disease going up in the UK compared to the rest of Europe where deaths are actually decreasing.

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Most of the deaths are due to alcohol. There has been a noticeable upsurge in the number of hospital treatments in the last five years.  

Doctors say they are shocked with what they have seen, they say liver disease used to be a problem with middle aged and elderly men and was rarely seen in women and very rarely seen in people under the age of 40. But they are now seeing more women and people in their 20s and 30s every week with very advanced liver disease, sometimes terminal.

LISTEN HERE: to our interview with Consultant hepatologist Johnathan Mitchell.

 

DRINK FACTS

  • Every year over 6,000 kids aged 11-15 end up in hospital because of drinking
  • 2 bottles of beer have as many calories as a bag of chips
  • Every year over 10, 000 fines are handed out to 16-19 year olds for being drunk
  • 1 in 10 15-16 year olds will have been involved in an accident or injured because of drinking alcohol
  • Drinking too much at a young age will affect your brain growth
  • More than 1 in 10 15-16 year olds get into fights as a result of drinking

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