Introduces the following: (1) alcoholism contributes to suicide; (2) alcoholism is chronic suicide or a temporary substitute; & (3) that alcoholism & suicide are effects of the same cause. 2 explanations are derived from (1) to examine prior consumption of alcohol’s role in cases of nonfatal self-injury: (a) this kind of drinking may precipitate more lethal acts of self-injury than no consumption; (b) consumption prior to self-injury mediates between certain situations & self-injury. (40 ref)