NEW figures have revealed Bradford as one of the highest areas in the region for the number of children being hospitalised due to alcohol.

Public Health England's 2019 Child Health report shows that 1,155 children were admitted to hospitals across Yorkshire and the Humber because of alcohol abuse.

On top of that, 1,859 were admitted for substance misuse. The children admitted to hospital because of alcohol abuse were all under the age of 18, whilst those admitted for substance misuse were aged 15-24.

According to analysis by UK Addiction Treatment (UKAT), the worst offending area across Yorkshire and the Humber for drug misuse hospital admissions was Leeds, with 320 young people being admitted in the last three years.

And for alcohol, the worst area was again Leeds with 189 children admitted, followed by Bradford with 175 under-18s admitted into hospital.

Eytan Alexander, CEO of UKAT, said: “Prevention should be the priority in tackling the rise of drink and drug misuse amongst children in order to avoid the beast which is addiction developing in later life. It is imperative that parents living across Yorkshire address the topic of drugs and alcohol early on with their children."