Monday 4 August 2008

Binge drinking teens: 'two deaths a week'

South Australia's Drug and Alcohol Service says there are about two deaths a week in Australia involving young people who have been binge-drinking.

Teenager Daryl Horner, 15, died at Peterborough in the mid north of South Australia at the weekend reportedly after drinking home-brewed alcohol.

Keith Evans, from the Drug and Alcohol Service, says the death is a tragic reminder of the need to prevent underage drinking.

"We are seeing across Australia around about two deaths a week in relation to young people who are heavily intoxicated," he said.

"I mean it's obviously eminently preventable - this is a real tragedy, a tragedy for that family but we really do have to change this culture that says it's ok to drink to get drunk and, at 15, it's not ok to drink at all," he said.

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