BRITISH RED CROSS SAYS TEACH CHILDREN ALCOHOL FIRST AID
Baku, September 15 (AZERTAC). Children should learn first aid skills to help friends who become dangerously drunk, the British Red Cross has said.
Its survey of 2,500 11 to 16-year-olds found 10% had been left with a drunk friend who was sick, injured or unconscious and 14% said they had been in an alcohol-related emergency.
The Red Cross wants to promote a broad range of first aid skills, but says the effects of alcohol are a key concern.
The charity Drinkaware backed the call, but said parents needed to give advice.
Official figures show that there were more than 7,000 hospital admissions between 2006 and 2009 involving under-15s and alcohol.
Many youngsters told the survey that they drank - 23% of 11 to 16-year-olds said they have been drunk, while one in three 14 to 16-year-olds said they drank most weekends.
Many of those who said they had witnessed an alcohol-related emergency said they had panicked, or did not know what to do.
Almost half said they were worried about their friend choking on vomit or simply not waking up.
