Drunk girls were attended to 247 times. Photo: iStock
Camera IconDrunk girls were attended to 247 times. Photo: iStock Credit: Supplied/Getty Images/iStockphoto

St John Ambulance paramedics treating more drunk girls than boys

Staff WriterEastern Reporter

UNDERAGE female drinkers required ambulance assistance for intoxication 16 per cent more than their male counterparts in 2016.

The latest State-wide ambulance call-out figures released by St John Ambulance WA and the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth were released to day and paint a troubling picture.

There were 247 requests for urgent medical assistance for young women aged 13 to 18, compared to 212 call-outs for young men of the same age last year.

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In 2016, the total number of ambulance requests related to alcohol was higher than previous years, with 5063 calls for urgent medical assistance last year – an average of 14 ambulances per day, resulting in 3239 being taken to hospital.

That represented an 11 per cent increase since 2014 when 4552 alcohol call-outs were recorded and compared with 4903 call-outs in 2015.

The latest figures show there were also more young people who required urgent medical assistance as a result of alcohol intoxication, with 465 cases of young people aged 18 and younger including two aged under 12, compared to a total of 399 call-outs in 2015.

St John Ambulance WA Metropolitan Ambulance General Manager James Sherriff said the increase in numbers, particularly in underage drinkers, was a concern.

“The worst thing is that this type of behaviour is avoidable,”Mr Sherriff said.

“Alcohol can cause a lot of harm for those in the younger age group and it can cause lasting brain changes, affecting mood, ability to learn and so on.

“We’d encourage parents to educate their children more about the dangers of using alcohol.”