Drugs, Alcohol, and Suicidal Behavior (IN: Suicide: The Gamble With Death, by Gene Lester and David Lester)

Research about the effects of drugs & alcohol on suicidal behavior is examined. Drugs are popular suicidal methods and, while some drugs are suspected to cause suicide, there is no evidence that this is so. There is also no evidence that a state called “drug automatism” exists. There is evidence that alcohol is associated with suicide & the rate of suicide among alcoholics is high. 16 refs. LH