This article is from page 1 of the 2008-02-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 1 JPG
THE demise of Clare’s rural pubs 1s a major contributing factor to suicides levels in the county, according to an Ennis mental health expert.
Home consumption of alcohol has been singled out by retired commu- nity nurse and Secretary of the En-
nis Mental Health Association, Tom McGrath, as one of the biggest con- tributing factors in many suicides. He believes that excess alcohol con- sumption can be the trigger for many people suffering from depression to attempt to take their own life. “Alcohol is a big problem and it’s going to get bigger. People are drink-
ing at home now and there is no con- trol over how much they have”’.
“It’s a big factor in many cases. It would be better for people to be in the pubs where at the very least there are some regulations on how much WOTeaVAr-DM CMON UDOT Ope ycaua
According to Aware’s Depression Awareness week, as many as 14,000
Clare people will suffer from depres- sion at some stage during their life.
“People can be suffering but are generally okay. They then take too much alcohol and that can push them over the edge. It can be very sudden,” explained Mr McGrath.