Our hospital casualty departments are used to dealing with children who have broken bones or banged their head.

But these days, doctors and nurses are more likely to be reaching for the stomach pump as the plaster of Paris whenever a youngster turns up at A&E.

Figures show that more and more under-18s are ending up in hospital as a result of bingeing on booze.

It's part of a rise in the number of people of all ages who are poisoning themselves with alcohol or injuring themselves as a result of drinking too much.

At the moment, it's our hard-working health professionals who are bearing the brunt of this nation's inability to drink responsibly.

But this is a problem that should be stamped on before it is dumped at the door of the casualty department.

Drink-related injuries are costing Worcestershire's hospitals £20 million a year - and that's apart from the social costs of excessive drinking.

Would it not make sense to spend the money stopping people from drinking so much in the first place?

Worcestershire has 50 drug workers but only 12 professionals working to combat alcohol problems.

Given that the drinks industry spends £227 million a year in advertising, it's an unequal battle.

It is not acceptable that our hard-working health professional are tied up dealing with self-inflicted injuries.

Weaning our youngsters off the booze will not be easy. But for the sake of our doctors and nurses, as well as the police and all the other professionals who have to pick up the pieces, it must be done.