Figures released under a Freedom of Information Act request have revealed a THREE-year-old toddler was treated for ALCOHOLISM in an NHS hospital in the Midlands.
The unidentified child is believed to be Britain's youngest alcoholic.
The West Midlands trust hospital treating the infant would not discuss details of the nature of the child's drink-related illness because of patient confidentiality, but a spokesperson said:
'We treat alcohol abuse very seriously and have specialist teams and experts on hand who are there to treat young patients with alcohol-related problems.'
'This enables us to provide the best possible care for our patients.'
The released figures also showed a dozen other children under 12 were diagnosed as alcoholics by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust between 2008 and 2010, and that the same trust admitted more than 70 children aged 13-16 for emergency treatment for alcohol abuse.
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