A family has come under fire after a coroner gave her verdict regarding a 16-year-old boy who passed away after drinking too much at Christmas.
The teenager, referred to in the coroner’s report as “LG,” attended the lunch with his parents at his aunt’s home in Australia on December 25, 2022.
The event, attended by about a dozen people, took a deadly turn as LG consumed a staggering amount of alcohol over the course of the day, per News.com.au.
According to the coroner’s report, released on Wednesday, LG arrived at the gathering with a personal supply of alcohol, including 10 vodka cruisers and several UDL cans.
However, he also helped himself to drinks from a fully stocked bar, consuming spirits such as double-strength bourbon and coke.
The inquest revealed that LG engaged in rapid drinking methods, including “snorkelling” and “vortexing” drinks, which accelerate intoxication.
Despite visible signs of severe intoxication – vomiting heavily and becoming incapacitated – no substantial attempts were made by the adults present to intervene.
“Allowing a minor to consume this amount of alcohol poses significant risks to their health and wellbeing and it should not have occurred,” state coroner Catherine Fitzgerald stated in her findings.
“There was wholly inadequate supervision of LG’s consumption of alcohol and level of intoxication by both his parents and adult family members.”
By the evening, LG was unable to walk and had to be helped to a couch on the veranda, where he eventually fell asleep.
His condition worsened overnight, and at around 8:30AM on December 26, his uncle found him unresponsive, with foam and vomit around his mouth.
Paramedics rushed LG to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, but he was pronounced brain dead.
He died on December 28, 2022, with the cause of death confirmed as acute alcohol poisoning.
The coroner’s report strongly criticized LG’s parents and other adults at the gathering for failing to supervise or limit the teenager’s drinking.
While his mother did suggest he “pace himself” at one point, no other meaningful interventions were made.
“It bears remembering that he was only sixteen years of age, and the sale and supply of alcohol to minors is illegal,” Fitzgerald emphasized.
She described the supervision as “wholly inadequate,” adding: “This effectively permitted LG to consume a dangerous amount of alcohol throughout the day and into the evening.”
In making the findings public, Fitzgerald aimed to highlight the grave risks associated with underage drinking and to remind adults of their legal and moral responsibilities.
“LG clearly consumed a significant quantity of alcohol,” she wrote. “This tragedy underscores the need for vigilance and responsible behavior when it comes to alcohol and minors.”
