Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Alcohol plays big role in deaths of young - report

Updated at 6:50 pm on 7 September 2011

More than 30% of injury-related deaths of young people from age 15 are linked to alcohol, a new report shows.

The finding, which equates to about 60 deaths a year, comes from the Government's Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee.

The committee looked at the contribution of alcohol to the deaths of children and young people up to the age of 25 over a three-year period, with a special focus on vehicle and injury-related deaths.

It says there were 357 deaths from injury between 2005 and 2007 for people aged from four weeks old to 24 years.

Eight-seven deaths were attributable or clearly linked to alcohol. Of these, 49 deaths involved a vehicle, 16 involved assault and 11 involved drowning.

However, deaths and injury increased dramatically over the age of 15, with binge-drinking a particular problem.

The committee says alcohol and cars are a lethal mix, and young people die most frequently because of other people's drinking.

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