Quarter Of Suicide Victims Are Intoxicated At Time of Death
About a quarter of suicide victims are intoxicated at time of death, says a new study, linking alcohol abuse to suicide in a big way. Further, the study claims that alcohol makes people more likely to commit suicide in a violent way (such as by hanging, with a firearm or by falling to their death) than a suicidal person who was not drinking. Nearly a fourth of all examined suicide cases showed blood alcohol levels of .08 (legally drunk) or higher.
Previous studies have confirmed that those who carry out their plans of suicide were more likely to test positive for alcohol consumption, but this study confirms that the risk of suicide by definite and lethal means is much higher in alcohol abusers than the rest of the population.
Portland State University conducted this study and based its findings on a dissection of nearly 60,000 suicide cases across 16 different states in the US, found that 22% of the suicide victims were intoxicated at the time of their suicide. Men were found to be about 7% more likely than women to complete their suicide while drunk.
Because alcohol’s relation to suicide is such an extensively studied subject, there have been many studies in the past linking the likelihood of alcoholics to suicide. Australian research showed that suicide victims who were intoxicated with alcohol were more likely to be young males who had recently split from an intimate partner. To date, however, this is the most comprehensive study in the United States that closely examined blood alcohol levels.
The Theories & Data Behind The Problem
One theory is that these suicide victims were individuals who reacted to life situations and stresses by drinking alcohol with a firearm nearby or within obtainable reach. After a short period of time drinking, the alcohol uninhibited them and made the idea of suicide a reality.
Suicide also varies by age group. Cases of younger suicide victims tend to be more impulsive and reactionary in the wake of a crisis or bad news. In older-age suicide cases, the outcome is planned or premeditated; older suicide victims tend to take their lives in the presence of prolonged negative situations or chronic health problems.
According to the World Health Organization, every 40 seconds there is a suicide completion—an increase of over 60% in the past 50 years. If a quarter of suicide victims are intoxicated at the time of their death, this means that every 2½ minutes, an alcohol-related suicide takes place.
Understandably, young adults who drink or use drugs are much more likely to have suicidal thoughts or tendencies than those who do not. Approximately 30% of adolescent binge drinkers report having suicidal thoughts or behavior. Heavy alcohol use amongst teens is linked to the massive increase in suicide rates we have seen over the past three decades.
Because alcoholics suffer from severe depression and mood swings, their lifetime suicide risk is approximate 15-16%, whereas amongst the general population the suicide risk is a mere 1%.
Alcohol Rehab Can Prevent Suicides
Alcohol rehab, like that provided through Narconon services can actually decrease suicides. The program should be more than 30 days - long enough to address multiple factors influencing the individual's addictive behavior.
The abuse of alcohol can deteriorate the user and cause his life to fall down all around him. It can even cause him to take his own life.
There is no need for this to happen. Contact Narconon services to get help for someone you know who is abusing alcohol and put an end to the cycle of addiction.