YOUNGER women in Croydon are to be targeted in moves to highlight the dangers of alcohol after news that their drinking habits are becoming increasingly worrying.

It is likely they will be at the centre of a joint initiative by Croydon Council and NHS Croydon aimed at promoting sensible drinking.

Growing concerns about alcohol consumption among women in the borough were confirmed by the Local Alcohol Profiles for England statistics published last week. These showed that while problems across Croydon were largely in line with, or below, the London average the picture was different for women.

The figures showed that in Croydon in the 2008/09 financial year 53 women died as a direct result of alcohol abuse while more than 1,700 were admitted to hospital with problems related to alcohol abuse. A further 1,400 women were admitted to hospital with problems in which alcohol was a contributory factor.

Dr Peter Brambleby, the joint director of public health for NHS Croydon and Croydon Council, said: "What arises from these figures is a need for the health partnership to look specifically at women and their alcohol consumption."

Dr Brambleby said the belief was that alcohol consumption among younger – although, he stressed, not underage – women was a major factor in the figures.

He said: "The problems are two and a half times higher among men but the women are trying hard to catch up with them. It is one of the downsides of equality."

The task facing the health partnership, he added, would be to find ways of more effectively getting across the message about the future health dangers of drinking from an early age.

Health problems and the resultant increased costs to the NHS tend not to emerge until people are in their 40s.

Dr Brambleby said it is therefore a good investment to nip problems in the bud.

He said: "We want Croydon to have a lively nightlife and be a friendly place to come and relax in. But we want to promote sensible drinking so that people can have a good time without having to go out and get drunk."

While no specific plans are in place, Dr Brambleby said that NHS Croydon and the council would be sitting down together to come up with ways of tackling the issues highlighted by the newly released figures.