Suicide more complex than glib drink analysis

THE south Kerry coroner, Terence Casey, recently said that more stringent drink-driving laws were leading to more suicides among older males (News, Jan 6).

The coroner’s views, although outrageous, highlight a much deeper issue in rural Irish society.

The fact that rural Ireland seems to still revolve around the local pub is a worrying indictment of this country’s traditions.

I think that equating a disallowance of drink-driving to the cause of suicides is a display of ignorance on the part of Casey.

There is, obviously, a more sinister problem lurking in the minds of suicide victims and that can never be solely related to alcohol, nor to alcohol dependence.

I think the main issue here is rural isolation, and that may be the point the coroner was trying to make.

His sentiments did focus on drinking, and going out for ‘one or two pints’, which rendered his opinion old-fashioned and plain wrong.

Rural social inclusion and activity shouldn’t, and doesn’t, have to involve alcohol, and in most communities there are numerous clubs and groups for elderly people to interact socially in a state of sobriety.

Drink-driving is a much bigger problem in rural areas, where the practice is more widespread and roads are of poorer quality.

Drink-driving is still a huge problem here, even with the decrease in road deaths in 2011.

The hailing of reduced road fatalities as a success is an unnerving celebration for me; people still died on our roads last year, and one is one too many.

I think now is not the time to relax the laws on drink-driving; there is never a time for this, in my view.

A further tightening of such laws is more desirable for us all, and the issues of suicide and rural isolation are completely separate, though both should be dealt with.

Justin Kelly

Edenderry

Co Offaly