Cases of whooping cough in England and Wales have almost trebled since 2003, according to figures released in response to a Parliamentary Question from the Liberal Democrats. Other infectious diseases have also seen big rises since 2003, including a 52% rise in cholera and 17% rise in both tuberculosis (TB) and typhoid.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: “People will be shocked to hear that diseases which belonged to a bygone era are making a comeback.  Prevention is often a case of a simple vaccine. The NHS is failing in its duty to prevent easily avoidable disease. Many of these infections are connected to the kind of poverty which is at the root of the growing health inequality since Labour came to power. Public health schemes are failing to reach the people who need them most.”

Almost 100 children aged under eight have been admitted to A&E nationwide over the past year for alcohol related problems.These figures come just days after the Government review of 24-hour licensing  and show that the number of girls under eighteen admitted to A&E has risen by almost 50% in the last 5 years, with almost 25% more boys under eighteen being admitted in the same period.

These are shocking figures which show that binge drinking could well be out of control. Problems with health may be a consequence of this binge drinking and we all must help to reverse this trend, by recognising the scale of the problem.  Cracking down on pubs and shops that sell alcohol to underage youngsters must be a priority, but parents too must be aware of the problem and help to stem the rising tide of youngsters who cannot wait to try alcohol.