Booze 'is worse than drugs'

By GEOFF CUMMING

Heavy drinking remains a far bigger health threat for young New Zealanders than methamphetamine and other hard drug addictions, health experts say.

The consequences of soaring consumption by teens and young adults represent a hidden time bomb for the individual and for treatment services.

Whereas hard drug addictions quickly show themselves and can be treated soon enough to avoid long-term medical problems, the symptoms of chronic alcohol abuse are more likely to be irreversible. They include liver and heart disease, blood disorders and loss of cognitive function.

"With something like methamphetamine the consequences are so awful for most people that lifetime usage is very short," says Ian MacEwan, senior treatment adviser for the Alcohol Advisory Council (Alac). "People get very sick very quickly.

"Alcohol is a bigger problem in terms of numbers and because it's a chronic relapsing condition which individuals have for a long time."

Teenagers' consumption of alcohol has risen markedly in the last decade and since the lowering of the drinking age in 1999, alcohol overdose admissions to hospital emergency departments have soared.

Most overdoses are in the 20 to 25 years age bracket, says Dr Lynn Theron, an emergency medicine specialist at Auckland Hospital.

Dr Theron says an "astronomical" proportion of injuries treated at the emergency department are alcohol-related. "The number one problem is still alcohol."

A 2001 study found big increases in the number of intoxicated 18 and 19-year-olds seen at the emergency department since the lowering of the drinking age with a worrying increase in the 15 to 17 years age group. Emergency medicine specialist Peter Jones says 35 per cent of people arriving at the emergency department are intoxicated "but we only see the tip of the iceberg".

"You only have to ask the North Shore police called out to parties where there are 300 people pissed. We may only see one of them at the emergency department."

Surveys of young Auckland drinkers show that the percentage of 14 to 19-year-olds drinking more than six drinks on a typical session increased from 12 per cent to 25 per cent between 1990 and 1999.

Average consumption rose from three to four drinks a session to five to six drinks a session, with significant increases among 14 to 17-year-olds.

While it is too soon for alcohol-related chronic medical conditions to show up in younger hospital admissions, it is only a matter of time, says Dr Jones.

"We see a fair proportion of people in their mid-40s with things like liver failure and gastrointestinal bleeding. We also see a lot of homeless people with chronic alcohol abuse problems."

Dr Jones says the more liberal drinking laws seem totally at odds with the Government's stated primary health goals and the emphasis on illness prevention.

Alcohol is strongly associated with mouth, throat and liver cancers, as well as liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis and strokes.

Drug Foundation executive director Sally Jackman says increased binge drinking by young people shows up not just in poor health but in increases in unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, injuries and violent crime.

"The Government didn't adequately benchmark the consequences of youth drinking before lowering the drinking age."

While the Government has taken flak for raising the tax on light spirits, alcohol watchdogs and treatment agencies say the move is soundly based. Roger Eccles, a spokesman for Auckland Regional Alcohol and Drug Services, says price is a key determinant on alcohol consumption by young people.

"All the research suggests it's a very elastic relationship. Put up the price and the amount goes down, particularly with young people with fewer discretionary dollars."

Mr MacEwan says about 225,000 people meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence and over 35,000 meet criteria for drug dependence over a six-month period.

But underfunded alcohol and drug agencies see only 10 to 12 per cent of people needing treatment at any one time. Mr MacEwan says treatment makes a positive difference for about a third of those who access services.

* The benefits of treatment are being highlighted in Treatment Works Week this week, with activities around the country. In Auckland, an Open Day at the Grey Lynn Community Centre from 11am to 2pm on Thursday will include young people talking about the recovery process.