Drink blamed as 3,000 under-25s attempt suicide

ALMOST 3,000 people under the age of 25 were treated in hospital last year for attempted suicide or deliberate self-harm.

More than 4,000 of a total of 8,800 patients treated for parasuicide in 2003 were under the age of 30, according to figures in the National Parasuicide Registry annual report, published today. Almost 1,000 of these were young women aged 15-19.

Alcohol was a factor in more than 5,000 out of the overall number of 11,200 episodes of self-harm. Authors Paul Corcoran and Prof Ivan Perry, deputy director and director of the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF) warned of the continuing “strong association between alcohol consumption and suicidal behaviour”.