Ireland should as a matter of urgency "decommission" its culture of binge drinking in an attempt to bring down suicide rates, President Mary McAleese said yesterday. Eithne Donnellan, Health Correspondent, in Killarney
Other issues also had to be tackled such as our tolerance of cannabis abuse and bullying, as well as hostility towards gay people, she said.
Mrs McAleese was addressing the 24th world congress of the International Association for Suicide Prevention in Killarney.
She said suicide was the "biggest killer" of young men in the State with young men accounting for 40 per cent of all suicides. "After them, elderly men living alone comprise the second highest at-risk group," she said.
"Hidden behind the figures lies a uniquely personal, often untold story of loss, depression, social dislocation, breakdown in relationship, substance abuse, distress or some combination of these experiences. We have been reminded of this fact all too often recently with stories of teenage suicides, filicide-suicides, familicides as well as internet prompted suicides which have brought a new and worrying dimension to your work," she said.
Suicide, she added, was an issue which affects every element of our society, and reducing it required a collective, concerted effort from all groups in society: including Government, communities, parents, and friends.
"It also requires the careful nurturing of a culture in which people in psychological distress don't hesitate to seek help from family, friends, health professionals and community leaders, a culture that recognises the signs and signals of distress and is willing to help, and that focuses early in life on developing good coping skills and avoiding harmful practices; in short, a sensitive culture that cherishes human courtesy and takes responsibility for our own and the mental health of others," she said.
Mrs McAleese went on to say that research had found alcohol had a very significant role in suicide and featured prominently in youth suicide.
She said young people associated alcohol with partying, pleasure and fun and a lot of work had to be done to "redress that image, to try and show the downstream consequences - the turbulence, the hurt, the danger, the damage - because that message does not yet seem to be getting through as powerfully as it should or could".
Bullying also sometimes featured in the story of suicide, she added. "Our young people need to know just how damaging, just how unacceptable bullying is.
"Education, access to support structures whether at work, school or home are an essential part of protecting the victim of bullying not just from the bully but from their own downward spiral into suicidal thoughts," she said.
"A less discussed but nonetheless important issue worth raising is the issue of dealing with sexual identity," she said.
"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 young gay people must find deeply hurtful and inhibiting.
"For them, homosexuality is a discovery, not a decision and for many it is a discovery which is made against a backdrop where, within their immediate circle of family and friends as well as the wider society, they have long encountered anti-gay attitudes which will do little to help them deal openly and healthily with their own sexuality," she added.
As a result they were driven into silence.
"And we know that that silence is a very dangerous place, it is not a healthy place mentally to be in that silence and so I think it's important that again as a culture, that we encourage our young people to express who they are and what they are without fear . . . so that we don't create the conditions in which we jeopardise their mental health and their mental well being or God forbid that we would actually jeopardise their lives," she said.
"So next time we shake our heads in both horror and despair when we hear of another suicide story, it is worth remembering that the answers do not lie exclusively with health care professionals or politicians.
"There are things we need to do and to be vigilant about as a community that cares about its citizens and especially its vulnerable young.
"Among the things we could do as individuals, as families and as community that would impact significantly on our suicide statistics and indeed our overall mental health are - we could and should as a matter of urgency decommission our culture of binge drinking, of tolerance of alcohol abuse and of drug abuse and we could and should decommission attitudes that encourage bullying of all sorts and in particular attitudes that are deeply hurtful to those who are homosexual," said Mrs McAleese.
President highlights alcohol, marijuana, bias against gays
"When the research shows us the very strong correlation between alcohol abuse and youth suicide we are morally obliged I think to take this issue very seriously and do our best to turn our backs on this culture, to decommission the culture of binge drinking".
"Since marijuana is the illegal drug most used by those under 25, a critical factor in suicide prevention must be to inform young people as to its danger and counter the erroneous impression that it is a benign substance".
"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 young gay people must find deeply hurtful and inhibiting".
• The full text of President McAleese's speech is available on The Irish Timeswebsite at: www.ireland.com/focus/