The shocking figures requested by the Wigan Evening Post under the Freedom of Information Act suggest the situation is not getting better with an average of around 80 cases having been dealt with in casualty each year since April 2004.

Deliberate overdoses, small children getting hold of adults' medication, allergic reactions and youngsters' experimenting with prescribed and banned substances all required hospital treatment between April last year and October this year.

And while eight youngsters between the ages of 10 and 16 were hospitalised for alcohol poisoning, by far the largest figure was for paracetamol overdoses: 34 involving children aged 10 to 15 and nine cases involving under-10s. The figure grows by 18 more if other painkillers are taken into account.

In the last five years a total of 16 older children have also need treatment for poisoning by psychostimulants such as ecstasy and amphetamine.

Children of all ages have needed emergency care for overdosing on other prescription tranquillisers, anti-depressants and sedatives. And the cost to Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust for caring for these 363 young patients since 2004 had reached £182,169 by October this year.

The figures have been consistent over the five-year period with 80-plus children aged under 16 needing drug poisoning treatment almost every time. Glen Berry, the assistant director of public health development for NHS Ashton, Leigh and Wigan, today called on parents to keep all medication under lock and key.

He said: "What immediately springs to mind from these figures is that paracetamol – which accounts for more cases of child drug poisoning than anything else – is available from your local corner shop or petrol station.

"Because it is not prescription medicine maybe people don't treat it with the respect they would afford something that had been prescribed by the GP.

"And yet paracetamol can be just as dangerous as prescription drugs, especially in large quantities and especially to children.
"For all of these hundreds of cases admitted to hospital there will be just as many different stories behind them, whether the drugs be taken accidentally, experimentally or as a deliberate overdose.

"But whatever the reasons, the risks can be reduced by adults keeping all drugs, including paracetamol, locked in a medicine cabinet away from the reach of children of all ages."

Mr Berry said parents need to take the initiative and if they suspect their children have taken any substances or have concerns about their mental state, they should seek medical help immediately.
He also referred youngsters with any depressed thoughts and feelings to Kooth – the online counselling service for young people.