The South/South West Hospital Group, which includes Kerry, recorded nearly 190 discharges from hospitals for children being treated for drug and alcohol-related illnesses last year.
This includes drug or alcohol poisoning, a mental disorder due to substance misuse, and new-born children affected by their mothers’ use of drugs or alcohol.
Hospitals in the group saw 113 discharges involving girls; 20 cases were up to the age of nine and 93 were aged from 10 to 17.
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There were 76 discharges involving boys; 21 were aged up to nine and 55 were from 10 to 17 years of age.
Nationally, over 1,000 children were treated in hospital for drug and alcohol-related illnesses last year.
The data was released under a Freedom of Information request by Newstalk.
