AN in-depth review of drugs and alcohol services is to be under-taken in Bournemouth and Poole.

Officials spoke out after figures released by the NHS Information Centre showed that hospitals in England had treated more than 1,200 children for illegal drugs last year, almost 45 percent more than 10 years ago.

The number of under 16s who were hospitalised last year because of drugs was 1,241, up from 868 in 1996-97. The number of 16- to 24-year-olds who received hospital treatment rose from 8,508 to 9,657, and included those who needed care because of overdoses or an adverse reaction, or for mental and behavioural problems.

More than six percent of 16- to 24-year-olds admitted using cocaine in the last year.

Bournemouth and Poole Teaching Primary Care Trust says it will work with the two local Drug and Alcohol Action Teams to examine drug and alcohol services for children and young people. It will also work alongside councils in Bournemouth and Poole and is taking the lead in commission-ing an in-depth review of curr-ent drug and alcohol services for children and young people.

A spokesman said: "The review will cover all aspects of drug and alcohol services - from prevention through to specialised treatment services - and will provide the local authorities and the primary care trust with clear recommendations which will be built into future plans for improving services."

Simon Bull, chief executive of Vita Nova, a Bournemouth orga-nisation which provides training, education and awareness of drugs and alcohol, said he was not surprised at the figures.

"My personal view is we should be looking at the causes. It's quite often things in their lives that trigger it."

Nick Barton, joint chief executive of Action on Addict-ion, which runs programmes in Boscombe, West Howe and Poole and at Clouds House in Wiltshire, warned that young people were risking their long-term health and alcohol consum-ption could also not be forgotten when addressing the problem.