Some of the alcohol related incidents that this newspaper reported on between January 1, 2012 and February 28 this year are:
* Khemraj Lallbeharry who was an alcoholic took his own life by hanging on March 17 last. Following his divorce the man fell into a state of depression and began drinking excessively.
* On March 18 last Ganesh Rattan fractured his neck and died after he was pushed off a pavilion located at Cane Grove, ECD. At the time he was among a group of men who were drinking.
* Alcohol abuse is believed to have been a contributing factor in the rape and murder of Moraikobai, Mahaicony River resident Vilma Andrews whose nude, decomposing body was found on April 15. She was discovered days after she was seen drinking at a wedding house in the area.
* Rodwell Mercurius of Friendship, EBD was killed after a drunken driver slammed into him on the Diamond Public Road on April 22.
* How a heavily intoxicated Judy Joseph ended dead at a shop in Waiakabra remains a mystery. Her relatives remain convinced that she had been murdered. They had said that she was taken advantage of in her drunken state. A police post-mortem examination had ruled out foul play as it indicated that the woman died as a result of hypertension.
* Michael “Mikey” Figueira, 44, a known alcoholic died on June 15 at the Georgetown Hospital where he was rushed after he accidentally set himself on fire when he fell asleep with a lit cigarette in his mouth at his Ogle, ECD home.
* In August last year Nicole Jones was charged with burning her reputed husband, Rawlston Gordon with a lit cigarette. In her defence she told the court that the man’s drinking habits were causing problems in their eight- year relationship.
* October 16 last 32-year-old miner Gregory Thomas of Karrau, Essequibo River was stabbed to death while imbibing with another man.
* December 16 last a drunken driver crashed into a house at Goed Fortuin injuring two of its occupants.
* On December 19 last Trevor Thomas of Lethem was killed while he was drinking with another man at Mudhole Backdam, Eteringbang
* At Price Rite Mall on December 23 a man was shot during a fight with another man. He was drinking at the time.
* On the same day, a man drowned in a creek on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway. Persons there said that he was intoxicated.
* Steven Moses age 65 was found floating in the Pomeroon River on December 27 two days after he was seen consuming alcohol with friends. He went missing after that.
* January 16, 2013 Haymatie Kowchaie and her sister Omwattie Persaud were allegedly chopped by Kowchaie’s husband who was drunk at the time.
* Gidram Rasiawan age 17 was slapped with several charges including drunk driving following an accident on Febuary 3 at Mon Repos, ECD that claimed the lives of two persons.
* Indira Veersammy, a mother of seven and a known alcoholic was on February 11 found dead in a drainage canal near a koker at Grove, EBD 12 hours after she left home. Relatives said that she often went home drunk.
* During the wee hours of Mashramani Day special corporal Clarence Giles was found hanging in the bedroom of his South Haslington, ECD home. The night before he had gone home intoxicated.
* Hours after he was brutally stabbed by about seven men on Mashramani Day, 25 year old Kumar Mohabir succumbed to his injuries. The men were at the time drinking and one accused Mohabir of stepping on his toes. The man then attacked Mohabir while about six others joined in and used beer bottles to batter him. Navindra Mohabir who attempted to save his brother was badly wounded.
