Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

I wish to share time with Deputy Kenny. I congratulate Deputy Kathleen Lynch on her appointment. She is a very down-to-earth woman and I hope she has much success in her office. I believe she will be on top of the issues with which she must deal.

I am conscious of the huge sadness and trauma surrounding suicide and the terrible impact it has on the friends and families of the individuals concerned. I wish to record my appreciation of the work done by many organisations and individuals who tackle the issue of suicide and the heroic efforts of priests and clergy who are in the difficult position of conducting the funerals of suicide victims. I witnessed one priest manage to maintain the very fine balance between honouring the person who had taken their own life and ensuring that suicide was not painted in any type of glamorous way. That was particularly difficult and the more people who can do it, the better when it comes to tackling this issue.

I will focus on the links between alcohol and suicide. The data from the World Health Organisation regarding suicide are striking. The 2009 figures show Ireland in a reasonably good light with 9.2 deaths per 100,000 people. That puts Ireland close to the bottom of the table, in contrast with countries such as Estonia and Lithuania where the incidence is up to over 30 per 100,000. However, when one examines the suicide figures for the 15 to 24 year old category, the situation is considerably different. In that context Ireland's figure is 14.4 per 100,000 people, which puts it fourth from the top. This contrasts with the rate for countries such as Portugal, with 3.7 per 100,000, and Greece, with 1.9 per 100,000. This is a considerable contrast to the overall figure in Ireland. While we must focus on the general issue of suicide, we must also examine why there is a higher incidence at that stage in life. That incidence is not necessarily reflected in other countries.

I strongly believe that alcohol plays a considerable role in many suicides, most especially in those that occur in the 15 to 24 year old age group. Although pure alcohol consumption reduced from a peak of 14.2 litres in 2002 to 12.4 litres in 2008, Ireland still has the third highest rate of alcohol consumption in Europe after Estonia and Austria according to European figures. The starkness of these figures is worsened by the fact that the European Union survey indicates that one quarter of Irish people had not drunk alcohol in the previous year. This means that those who are drinking are consuming considerable amounts.

I recently asked the Oireachtas Library & Research Service to look into the research on this matter. The evidence on the connection between alcohol and suicide is quite frightening. A 2006 study of the emergency department at Cork University Hospital looked at patients who attended the emergency department during three periods between December 2002 and January 2004. The study reported that 50% of people attending the emergency department with acute intoxication had also consumed large amounts of prescription medication and-or had over-medicated in an attempt to harm themselves. Almost all the participants were young, male and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The authors state that "the results of this study suggest that excessive alcohol consumption is closely related with suicide and deliberate self-harm".

Another study, conducted by Bedford et al in 2006, reviewed coroners' reports in Cavan, Monaghan and Louth in 2001 and 2002. The study was undertaken to identify the blood alcohol concentrations, BACs, in persons who died as a result of accidental death or suicide. All cases where the person died as a result of injury or suicide in 2001 and 2002 were included. There were 129 deaths eligible for inclusion, of which the majority were male, at just over three quarters, and 113 were adults aged 18 years and over. Blood alcohol concentration levels were tested for the majority, 105 or 81%, and 55% tested positive for alcohol. The key findings were that 31 or 24% of the deaths were suicides, of which 90% were male. Blood alcohol concentrations were recorded for 29 of these suicides and, of these, 16 or 56% had alcohol detected in their blood.

Persons aged less than 30 years of age were significantly more likely to have alcohol in their blood. Over half of those aged less than 30 years had blood alcohol concentrations in excess of 160 mg per 100 ml, twice the legal drinking limit. The blood alcohol concentration findings in the study, particularly for the under 30s, are among the highest reported in the international literature. From these findings the authors conclude that the high blood alcohol concentrations in those who died as a result of suicide or injury reflect the high level of alcohol consumption and binge drinking in Ireland. Another study, which I will not have time to deal with in detail is the national report, "Suicide in Ireland: A National Study", in 2001. It had somewhat similar findings.

The World Health Organisation has estimated that the risk of suicide where a person is currently abusing alcohol is eight times greater than if he or she was not abusing alcohol.

A report from the UK Mental Health Foundation also states that as many as 65% of suicides were related to excessive drinking and identifies alcohol problems as one of the highest risk factors for suicide. This report also identifies a strong link between alcohol use and thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts and completed suicides among young people under the age of 24.

These studies clearly outline a connection between alcohol and suicide. It seems obvious that high alcohol consumption can induce depression, which might cause suicide or which might lead to someone with a suicidal intent drinking in order to gain the courage to commit suicide. Groups such as Alcohol Action Ireland believe that the connection between alcohol and suicide is strong and argue that alcohol use can act as a factor in suicide. This view is also supported by Ann Hope who, in a research report compiled for the HSE in 2008, argued that alcohol is an important contributory factor in suicide and concluded that "Alcohol can facilitate suicide by increasing impulsivity, changing mood and deepening depression".

A problem which has also been highlighted is that there is insufficient evidence to examine whether a link exists between single vehicle road accidents and suicide. Professor Denis Cusack made a call in respect of this matter and I wonder whether there have been any developments in this regard. It would be useful if material relating to whether their is a link between such accidents and suicide could be made available because it would be of assistance in examining the overall position.

I ask the Government to seriously consider banning advertising which relates to alcohol. Such advertising always glamorises alcohol and usually links it with something such as sport. While alcohol does have a positive function, if not used properly it can have hugely negative effects. It would certainly be worthwhile for the Government actively to consider banning the type of advertising to which I refer. I accept that such a move would probably lead to quite an aggressive debate. However, I am of the view that it would ultimately be of major benefit, particularly in the context of allowing us to confront the issue of alcohol consumption.

I appreciate that this debate primarily relates to suicide. If, however, the advertising of alcohol was banned, this would have a positive impact not only in respect of alcohol consumption, but also in the context of suicide. A ban on advertising might give rise to a situation where younger people might tend not to start drinking until they reach a more mature age. This would certainly be beneficial in the context of the issue of suicide.

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