Call for action on availability of cheap drink

DRUGS Minister Róisín Shortall has said the suicide of a young man after a drink-fuelled night out highlighted the need to address the problem of cheap alcohol.

An inquest into the death of 21-year-old David Higgins, from Ballina, Co Mayo, last March, returned a verdict of suicide and named alcohol as a contributory factor.

This week, his parents John and Anne called for a ban on the availability of cheap alcohol in supermarkets and off-licences, saying drink was so cheap it could be bought with pocket money.