‘We can do without binge drinking’

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese yesterday called for an end to the culture of binge drinking.

But she conceded there was a lot of work to be done making people aware of the consequences of alcohol abuse and the damage it caused.

The President, who was addressing an international conference on suicide in Killarney, referred to the pain and misery caused by alcohol in Irish society.

“It’s a spectrum of turbulence that we can all do without,” she said.

Asked if she believed the minimum age at which people were allowed to consume alcohol should be raised to 21, she replied that was an issue for the Oireachtas.

During the six-day conference of the International Association of Suicide Prevention, links between suicide, drink and illegal drugs, especially in youth suicide, were highlighted by a number of expert speakers.

President McAleese said it was critical to inform young people about the dangers of drugs and to counter the mistaken notion that marijuana — the illegal drug most used by people under the age 25 — was not a harmful substance.

She also said there was a need for more research into the link between suicide and homosexuality.

While attitudes towards homosexuality were changing, she said taboos were still casting shadows. Referring to nasty remarks often made about gay people, President McAleese said such remarks could be extremely hurtful to young people who find out they are gay.

In such an atmosphere, she said a boy, in early teenage years, was not going to rush out and tell people.

“A 15 or 16-year-old can be driven into silence which is not a healthy place to be,” she said.

The president said young people should not be fearful about what they discover about themselves and conditions that could jeopardise their health, or their lives, should not be created.

“Although Ireland is making considerable progress in developing a culture of genuine equality, recognition and acceptance of gay men and women, there is still an undercurrent of both bias and hostility which gay young people must find deeply hurtful and inhibiting,” she said.

For young people, she said, homosexuality was a discovery, not a decision, but they had for long encountered attitudes which did little to help them deal with their own sexuality.

Meanwhile, GLEN — the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network — last night welcomed President McAleese’s comments. “These remarks are vitally important in the context of research that says young lesbian, gay and bisexual people are at least three times more likely to attempt suicide and two and a half times more likely to self-harm when compared to their heterosexual peers.

“These statistics are chillingly painful,” said GLEN director of education Sandra Gowran.

“The words of support for young lesbian and gay people from the president, the highest office in Ireland, are very significant. Many young people have been affirmed and recognised by her remarks.”

Like President McAleese, GLEN shares the view that Ireland has made great progress in developing a culture of equality and acceptance of gay people.

“We are, however, also very aware of the residual bias and anti-gay attitudes that still exist.