Teenager dies in Cork after trying harmful drinking game

The teenager drank a mixture of stout, cocktails and vodka shots.

An alcohol warning has been issued after a teenager died following a drinking game. A 19-year-old has sadly died after taking part in a drinking game where he consumed stout, cocktails and vodka shots. He passed away after his blood alcohol level reached a point that depressed his brain and central nervous system and eventually led to cardiac respiratory failure. A coroner in Cork has since described the teen's death as a "terrible tragedy" and has issued a warning about the dangers associated with binge drinking amongst young people. Ireland now has the second-highest binge drinking rate in the world which poses potentially catastrophic public health consequences. Doctors across the country are now dealing with cases of "holiday heart" which sees people drinking so much during a sun holiday that they are developing cardiac problems including arrhythmia triggered by alcohol consumption. According to The Irish Independent, Cork Coroner Philip Comyn said the death of the young man was an "unfortunate and terrible tragedy."

"People don't realise the effect it can have and how tragedies such as this (can result) or how prolonged damage can be caused to your health, particularly your heart, liver, and brain," he told the publication.

"I looked up some data and we now have apparently the second highest level of binge drinkers in the world - second only to Australia.

"It is a problem that seems to be increasing and something that people should be made aware of and the consequences of it."

This comes after Assistant State Pathologist Dr. Margaret Bolster said there is a worrying increase in binge drinking in Ireland. She said binge drinking is defined as more than five units for a man and four for a woman in one session.

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