ALMOST 40 per cent of people who die suddenly in Cork test positive for alcohol in a postmortem report review, according to a new study published in the Irish Medical Journal.
Of the samples sent for blood alcohol analysis, 38.4 per cent were positive for alcohol, while 52per cent of drivers were alcohol- positive at time of death.
The study, The Role of Alcohol in Deaths Presenting to the Coroner's Service in Cork City and County, by Maggie Bellis and others, aimed to determine the prevalence and concentration of alcohol in various types of sudden, unexplained or unexpected deaths in 2003 and 2004.
A total of 482 samples were sent to the State Laboratory for analysis of blood alcohol. Of these, 185, or 38.4 per cent, were found positive.
Of all deaths involving alcohol, 76 per cent were over the legal limit. According to the report, 12 per cent of alcohol-related deaths involved blood alcohol levels “which some studies quote as being lethal”.
Victims of deaths involving alcohol were younger for most causes of death. Males comprised 79.5 per cent of the alcohol-positive sample. The study concluded that alcohol-related death, illness and injury was one of the largest public health issues in Ireland.
