A new study reveals a strong link between acute alcohol use and suicide, prompting calls for liquor law reforms and suicide prevention strategies targeting alcohol-related harm.
Jane Beasley was just 15 years old when she became a full-blown alcoholic and tried to take her life for the first time.
“I started drinking at the age of 11.”
“I grew up with alcohol being normal in my family… and it just spiralled out of control for me.
“Every time, I drank… I was getting those dark thoughts.”
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Now sober, she can see how alcohol hurt her and is helping others with their addiction.
“I've realised that alcohol was a problem for me… a real ugly demon.”
A new study from Otago University has revealed more than a quarter of suicides in Aotearoa involve acute alcohol use.
Researchers examined the coroner reports of 4,658 suicides over 13 years and found that 26.6% had a blood alcohol level above the legal driving limit.
There was an even stronger link for populations with already higher-than-average suicide rates, including Māori, Pasifika and younger age groups.
Lead author Dr Rose Crossin hopes the disturbing data will prompt policy change.
"It was a hard study on me personally what I found what I had to keep in mind was trying to think of the future and trying to think of how positive change can come."
“So I would really call on the New Zealand government to be bold and brave about this issue and to make change for the health of our people.”
She’s calling for alcohol intervention in our suicide prevention strategy and measures to limit alcohol availability and advertising.
“No one is suggesting we ban alcohol, however, profits are being made at the expense of people who are drinking really riskily and then impacting their mental health and that's something the industry does have control over."
But while Alcohol Watch Director Dr Nicki Jackson says there’s strong public support for reform, it often hasn’t translated to law, an alcohol harm minimisation bill was pulled from the ballot earlier this year.
“If we had strong, alcohol laws in NZ we could save lives,” says Jackson.
“We just need the Government to be brave and get behind the public.”
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