Father believes culture of cheap alcohol contributed to his son’s suicide

THE father of a 19-year-old Mayo man who took his life by jumping into the River Moy believes the culture of cheap alcohol and house parties contributed to his son’s death.

David Higgins drowned in the early hours of March 13. He was last seen walking along the Lower Bridge in Ballina at approximately 6.30am. His body was found 14 days later after an extensive search.

The inquest recorded a verdict of death by suicide, with alcohol cited as a contributory factor.

It heard Mr Higgins had attended a house party after leaving a pub, where large amounts of alcohol were consumed, and that he had apparently been upset after being asked to leave.

In an emotional address to the inquest, David’s father, John Higgins, said that while many factors played a part in his son’s death, alcohol played a large part. He said alcohol could now be purchased for “pocket money”, and the availability of cheap alcohol, which encourages house parties, has become a “plague in Irish society”.

“The combination of cheap alcohol and all-night house parties presents a danger for young people,” he said, pointing out that young people often consume “abnormally high levels” of alcohol at parties, without the presence of a responsible person to say: “You have had enough.”

“Thousands of boys and girls go out every weekend and wake up not knowing how they get home. They are the lucky ones… they wake up.”

He said he would like to see “a minimum price on drink”, because if alcohol was more expensive, it would prevent people from “stacking up” and having house parties after the pubs close.

“If you pay €4 a can for cider you are not going to invite 20 people around to drink it. But you can buy cider for €1.20 a can, which is as cheap as a can of coke — that is crazy.”

He welcomed the recent announcement by Minister of State for Health, Róisín Shortall, in which she said she favours the ending of below-cost selling of alcohol, but he said the Government should stand up to the companies who make huge profits from selling cheap alcohol.

Dr John Connolly of the Irish Association of Suicidology has said teenage suicide tends to be a more impulsive act, and that alcohol can lead to an increase in that impulsivity.