[Article] Irish study shows prevalence of alcohol in range of deaths

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/7685338?view=Eircomnet

Irish study shows prevalence of alcohol in range of deaths
From:ireland.com
Tuesday, 21st March, 2006

The extent to which alcohol is a factor in deaths on the roads, in house fires and in suicides is revealed in a new Irish study to be published shortly.

The study looked at the concentration of alcohol in the blood of people who died in accidents or by suicide in Cavan, Monaghan and Louth over a two-year period and it found that 40 per cent of those who died in road crashes and 55.5 per cent of those who died by suicide had alcohol in their bloodstream.

In addition, 100 per cent of adults killed in house fires (11 people died in house fires over the period) who had blood samples taken at postmortem examination were found to have had concentrations of alcohol in their blood which would have put them above the legal limit to drive.

No alcohol was found in the blood of the seven people who died in industrial or farm accidents during the period under review.

A total of 129 deaths in 2001 and 2002 were examined and blood samples taken during postmortems were available for 105 of these, from which the study's results come.

The study coincides with a claim by a leading public health specialist, Dr Joe Barry of TCD, that the cost of alcohol-related problems, including healthcare, accidents, crime, absenteeism and lost taxes, is now likely to be €3 billion a year.

One of the authors of the study, Dr Declan Bedford, a public health doctor with the Health Service Executive in the north-east, said the research showed that alcohol was a big factor in all deaths, even house fires. "It highlights the huge contribution alcohol is making to accidental deaths and suicides . . . it is vital that the level of consumption in Ireland is reduced."

Some 55 of the deaths examined were of people killed on the roads and they included 25 drivers, 20 passengers and 10 pedestrians.

The study, to be published in the next issue of the Irish Medical Journal, established that 33 per cent of the drivers killed had consumed alcohol, and five of them were over the legal limit. The majority of the drivers were men in their 20s. Of the adult passengers killed, 76 per cent had alcohol in their blood, and among adult pedestrians killed, 66 per cent had alcohol in their blood.

Blood-alcohol levels were recorded for 29 of the 31 people, mostly men, who died by suicide. Of these, 55.5 per cent had alcohol in their blood. Those under the age of 30 were significantly more likely to have alcohol in their blood and to have a concentration above the legal limit.

Dr Bedford said this data suggested that alcohol plays a "far bigger role" in suicide among young people in Ireland than previously thought.

Victor

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/03/21/story250211.html

Study shows link between alcohol and accidental deaths
21/03/2006 - 07:52:36

A two-year study conducted in Cavan, Monaghan and Louth has reportedly found that alcohol is a major factor in many suicides and accidental deaths.

Reports this morning said the study found that two fifths of people killed in road accidents in the three counties in 2001 and 2002 had consumed alcohol.

Elsewhere, 100% of adults killed in house fires had been drinking beforehand, while 55.5% of suicide victims had alcohol in their bloodstreams.

The research, due to be published in the next issue of the Irish Medical Journal, was based on blood samples taken from 105 people who died in accidents and suicides.

Chris_533976

This is one of those stupid pointless surveys that shows us all what we already know.

Drunk people commit suicide/crash/burn more than sober people.

Victor

Chris_533976 wrote:

This is one of those stupid pointless surveys that shows us all what we already know.

Drunk people commit suicide/crash/burn more than sober people.

Not funny. While people "know" this, the know it on a anecdotal basis. Now we have some facts.

seamus

I do find it scary that essentially all domestic deahts by fire could probably have been avoided had they not been drinking. I'm assuming it's because the intoxication has you sleeping more heavily than you would otherwise normally have done.

The suicide one doesn't really surprise me. With any amount of alcohol, you'd still need to be suicidal to actually carry out the act. It's likely that some people have a few drinks beforehand either as a last farewell, or for dutch courage (the depressant effects would probably solidfy your determination).

Victor

seamus wrote:

I do find it scary that essentially all domestic deahts by fire could probably have been avoided had they not been drinking. I'm assuming it's because the intoxication has you sleeping more heavily than you would otherwise normally have done.

It is scary, but realise it was a small sample.

There is also the fact that drunk people are less inhibited and do foolish things (leave cooker on, smoke in bed).