Alcohol research: The dramatic rise in suicide rates are attributable to increased alcohol consumption and rising levels of binge drinking, according to new research.
The research, published yesterday, examined whether there was a connection between the State's increased rates of suicide and alcohol consumption over the past 10 years.
It found there had been no rise in the incidence of depression, no change in the method of reporting of suicide and no other change in suicide causation over the period, apart from the increase in alcohol consumption.
Carried out by Dr Conor Farren and Dr Sonia Martin of the Drug Diagnosis Treatment Centre at St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin, the study said there was a 41 per cent increase in alcohol consumption per head of population over the 10 years to 2000.
Over the same period, suicide rates increased by 45 per cent. Last year, 444 people in Ireland took their own lives.
"There appears to be no European or worldwide rate of increase in suicide to match that in Ireland," Dr Farren said.
He blames "highly liberal licensing and regulation laws" in addition to an alcohol-permissive culture, increased disposable income and significant expenditure on promotion by the drinks industry for the increased levels of alcohol consumption. Binge drinking was a major part of the increase, he said.
"Binge drinking has been shown by researchers to be associated with completed suicide, as opposed to other drinking patterns, which are associated with unsuccessful suicide attempts.
"The one reason for the rise in completed suicides in Ireland is that there is not only a rise in drinking, but that it is in a particular binge pattern of drinking," he added.
While there were a number of causes of suicide, Dr Farren said alcohol was a major factor because it changed a person's mood. Initially, alcohol, he said, caused the generally pleasant feeling of intoxication. However, that night, the next day, or even days later, alcohol can produce a significant fall in mood.
"Although this fall in mood most commonly takes place in someone with a major depressive disorder, or else in someone with an alcohol-dependence problem, it is not necessary for either condition to be present for someone to experience a fall in mood," he said.
"If a young man is depressed, goes on a binge drinking session and gets more depressed, he may become disinhibited enough to act suicidally, where he wouldn't when sober," he said. Dr Farren presented the research in Dublin yesterday at the launch by Aware of Depression Awareness Week.
He called for a number of measures to be taken to address alcohol consumption levels in an attempt to curb suicide rates. Second-level students needed to be educated about alcohol, he said, and there needed to be mandatory education for bar and off-licence staff about the danger of serving intoxicated and under-age customers.
Aware's helpline for those in distress can be contacted at 1890 303 302.