The government is using the cannabis issue as a smoke-screen, which its using to hide the fact it has created a dangerous situation regarding a stratospheric rise in the numbers of young people being hospitalised by alcohol abuse.

A stratagy which helps young people find work later in life, without the stigma of a police criminal record to overcome.

Rather than prosecute cannabis users, specifically those of a certain age group which includes young people up to the age of 16, police and the courts are more turning to alternative forms of 'punishing' offenders, such as ordering them to attend drug rehabilitation programs for instance and in the case of young cannabis users particularly the Department of Health should be congratulated publicly in keeping these youngsters out of the criminal system. 

But using the figures to make a point in a game of political ping-pong smacks of desperation on the part of the Labour party, especially when the Department of Health also indicates there are over 160,000 alcohol related admissions into the UK's hospital system per year, which equates to an 'intoxicating' 1220 hospital admissions per day, as a result of alcohol abuse!

The Office for National Statistics has revealed that 8,221 died from drink-related illnesses in 2004 compared to 4,144 in 1991.

During the same period there were no deaths as a result of using cannabis.

Surely a fact which puts the UK's drug problem firmly into perspective, with alcohol abuse a social issue which cannot be ignored any longer.

Using Department of Health figures from the the start of the new millenium as a datum point, shows the numbers admitted into hospital, including casualty departments has shown an unprecedented and catastrophic rise of 99% across all age groups.

As well as a jump of over 40% in the amounts of under-18's who have received emergency room treatment for liver problems, injuries from fighting and brawling whilst under the influence of alcohol, and those needing to have their stomach pumped.

Its come as no surprise these massive rises in the amounts of young people being harmed by alcohol, coincides squarely with the government's decision to allow 24 hour drinking across the nation.

Facts which must bring pressure to bear on Prime Minister Gordon Brown, to address this issue as a matter of the highest priority.

According to Ian Gilmore, who is president of the Royal College of Physicians, "It shows the current measures to stem alcohol-related health damage, and especially in our young people, aren’t working."

“That is why we have been looking for real evidence-based ways of reducing the burden of health damage for alcohol misuse, namely tackling price and availability,” Prof Gilmore said."

Which is clearly a policy the Labour government under Prime Minister Brown disagrees with as he announced recently he would not re-open the file on 24 hour drinking, commenting he was happy the strategy was achieving the results he wanted it to achieve.

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