A new study into contributing factors for suicide among both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the Northern Territory (NT) has revealed alcohol to be a very influential one. The study examined themes in 411 NT coroners’ reports over a ten year period. Key points include
- Alcohol was present in the blood or alcohol abuse was mentioned in 64% (n=261) of all suicide reports:
- 72% of Indigenous cases
- 55% of non-Indigenous case - Of these, BAC was over 0.05% for 61% of Indigenous and 33% of non-Indigenous cases
- Alcohol was a more influential factor compared to others such as conflict and relationship breakdown or mental health issues
- The study aligns with previous research in showing that alcohol abuse has a substantial impact on suicide rates, particularly for Indigenous people.
Full study: Kuipers P, Appleton J & Pridmore S 2012 “Thematic analysis of key factors associated with Indigenous and non-Indigenous suicide in the Northern Territory, Australia”, Rural and Remote Health 12: 2235.
I am a 60 year old Aboriginal man, born in far western NSW, I drank Alcohl for 24 years of my life.I have been off grog for 21 years, when I was young I grew up on Brewarrina Mission alcohol was banned from the mission. there were never any problems, I know for a fact that I can not handle alcohol, pure alcohol will strip paint of a motor vehicle, so what chances me and my people have got, I havent seen a successful, or sociable drinker yet. Like me, take the drink away from us, we are great people, my mob dont want to drink, they want to get off it but dont know how. I have been working with my people for the past twenty years, not telling them how to get off it, but showing them how to get off it. Alcoholism is the most serious sickness in this country, it will take your life before it will kill you, and thats exactly what it is doing to my people, Tearing my peoples families apart. Please feel free to contact me via email