Spanish Health minister, Elena Salgado, launched a campaign today to deal with a rising number of Spanish teens consuming alcohol on a regular basis. The most recent two surveys carried out on behalf of the National Drug Plan show that there has been a 10% increase between 2002 and 2004.
Ms Salgado pointed out during the launch of the "What do you want to achieve with alcohol?" campaign today that the rise is especially significant among younger children, "Among 14 year olds, those admitting to have consumed alcohol during the last 30 days rose from 26.1% in 2002 to 38.8% in 2004, which represents a 12 point increase in just two years," she told reporters.
The survey also reveals that 46.1% of 14-18 year olds questioned in 2004 have consumed alcohol at least once in their lives, 27.3% of whom have done so in the last 30 days. For the latter group, the average number of times they get drunk per month is 2.7, or three times a month.
The minister went on to point out that 4,000 people each year are admitted to hospital suffering from alcohol-induced psychosis, which represents a 103% rise over the last ten years. Notwithstanding, only 9% of those taking part in the most recent survey believe that they drink too much, and the vast majority does not see a link between alcohol abuse and health problems later in life.
The photo shows Ms Salgado posing in front of one of the campaign posters which shows an empty wheelchair and the message "Alcohol can take you a long way."
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