Surge in alcohol poisoning among minors during holiday season raises concern

Santo Domingo.- The Healthy Dominican Coalition has expressed deep concern over the alarming number of minors intoxicated by alcohol during the 2024 holiday season. According to statistics from the Emergency Operations Center (COE), 94 minors were treated for alcohol poisoning during Christmas and New Year’s festivities. The coalition called for tougher sanctions on businesses and individuals supplying alcohol to minors and emphasized the need for parental involvement in preventing underage drinking.

The COE reported 21 cases of minors intoxicated during Christmas Eve, a 50% increase compared to 2023. For New Year’s, the National Health Service (SNS) recorded 73 cases, sparking further alarm. The coalition highlighted discrepancies in the data from COE and SNS, noting that the true scale of the issue may be underreported as private healthcare facilities and home-treated cases are not included. The affected minors, aged 7 to 17, reflect a troubling trend of early alcohol consumption, with the coalition warning that these numbers represent only “the tip of the iceberg.”

The coalition also criticized the relaxation of alcohol sale hours by the Ministry of the Interior and Police, urging authorities to enforce Article 412 of the Child Protection Code, which mandates prison sentences and fines for selling or supplying alcohol to minors. The coalition concluded by calling for stronger enforcement of existing laws to protect the nation’s youth and prevent future cases of underage alcohol consumption.