In the less than five years from 2008 to the end of September there were 668 cases of alcohol poisoning admitted to hospital, Health Minister Joseph Cassar told Labour MP Evarist Bartolo in reply to a parliamentary question.

There were 61 cases in 2008, 91 in 2009, 181 in 2010, 178 in 2011 and 157 up to the end of September.

Besides the doubling of cases between 2009 and 2010, worthy of note were two cases, one girl in 2010 and one boy this year, where the victim was less than 11 years old.

Victims between the ages of 11 and 17 in the respective years were 17, eight, 17, 16 and 31. The rest were over 17.

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