Low-strength liquor 'killer'

"Low-strength" alcohol is quite capable of killing people, the Alcohol Advisory Council (Alac) says.

Within the past two weeks coroners have released reports into the deaths of two men - 19-year-old Paul Solomon of Whangarei and 38-year-old David Bunt, of Taumarunui - who drank themselves to death.

"Both individuals appeared to have consumed the better part of two 1.1-litre bottles of lower strength spirits," Alac chief executive Mike MacAvoy said.

"While these drinks have only two-thirds of the strength of full-strength spirits, in excessive quantities they are quite capable of killing a full-grown adult."

Dr MacAvoy was concerned people were being lulled into a false sense of security by the term "low-strength" and the relatively cheap price of the reduced-alcohol spirits.

"However, drinking a bottle and a third was the equivalent of consuming a bottle of full-strength spirit," he said.

"Such an amount was capable of causing death by shutting down the body's breathing control centre and causing the loss of reflexes such as coughing."

Whangarei coroner Max Atkins ruled Mr Solomon died on August 22 last year from choking on his vomit after drinking low-strength rum.

His blood-alcohol report showed him to be more than 11 times the legal drink-driving alcohol limit.

"This is a tragic example of what the existing culture of binge drinking among young people can be responsible for," Mr Atkins said.

"Education about the dangers of binge drinking needs to be stepped up so it becomes unacceptable to everybody because of the major tragedies it directly leads to."

Mr Bunt died on May 6 after a regular drinking session, where he and four friends drank five to seven 1125ml bottles of low-strength bourbon.

The session started about noon and by early evening Mr Bunt was carried to bed. He was found dead at 9am the next day.

Coroner Tim Scott ruled Mr Bunt died of alcoholic poisoning, saying some people believed binge drinking was normal.

"I do not believe it is normal. In addition it creates potential for all sorts of evil - the worst of which, and the one I am dealing with in respect of this inquest, being the death of a participant."

Dr MacAvoy said binge drinking was a national problem which had to be addressed.

- NZPA