Plea to parents after King's boy's booze death

Teenagers urgently need to know that drinking alcohol can kill them and parents have to know what to do if their children are intoxicated, Coroner Gordon Matenga says.

His passionate comments when ruling on the death of 16-year-old Auckland's King's College student James Charles Webster, who died on May 9 last year after sculling Jagermeister and vodka at a birthday party.

His blood alcohol level was found to nearly five times that of the legal driving limit.

"Teenagers should be aware that drinking 250 ml or more of spirits over a short period of time (30 to 60 minutes) will cause you to become drunk very quickly to the point of unconsciousness," Matenga said.

"This will endanger your life. Do not do this, and look out for your mates and do not let them do it."

Webster family spokesman Donald Webster told Stuff that they were disappointed Matenga had not said more on the perils of teenage binge drinking.

"He does mention that alcohol can kill, and that's accepted of course, but I think the message needed to be made a bit more dramatically and a bit clearer to our kids."

James Webster was drinking on the night with Alex Banks, son of the then Auckland Mayor, John Banks.

Banks told Stuff the report was a timely reminder to both parents and teenagers that binge drinking is very dangerous.

"My only wish is that the lesson that my own son has learnt from this tragic experience is something he could share with every other teenager - because it would never happen again," Banks said.

James' death was one of three at King's last year.

Michael Treffers, 15, died after an incident at Auckland's Market Rd. His life support was turned off on 17 May.

In February, William Thode, 15, died in his sleep at the boarding school from a rare viral heart infection.

All three boys were boarders at the decile 10 school in south Auckland.

In his finding, Matenga said James was invited to a 16th birthday party organised by parents of friends at the Grey Lynn Returned Service Club.

James did not tell his parents he was going but did tell friends Oscar Robinson and Alex Banks.

"James told Alex that he wanted to get drunk and have a good time," the finding said.

Friends had told the inquest that James had said he got drunk to the point of unconsciousness most weekends, and his Facebook page tried to create that picture.

His parents said his son's claims were bravado and that he simply did not have the chance to get drunk every second weekend.

"I suspect that the truth lies somewhere in the middle," Matenga said.

Oscar had said his own alcohol supplies were low so they went to 17-year-old James Barwell-Smith, a year 13 student at King's.

Barwell-Smith had name suppression during the hearings and sought, unsuccessfully, permanent name suppression.

"This shows to me that it was quite possible for there to be occasions where James may have successfully hidden drinking sessions from his parents, but I accept that the evidence establishes that it was not possible for James to be drunk ever second weekend."

James and Oscar smuggled alcohol into the party and drank in a corner.

They were joined by Alex, Tyler Koeford and Aaron Hutchings to drink Jagermeister and beer.

"Had they been noticed, I am confident that action would have been taken. I note also that the other young people at the party knew that these young men were drinking in the corner but themselves took no steps to bring it to an adult's attention."

Alex said James drank very quickly and he sculled the vodka "like it was nothing, in a matter of seconds.

"Alex was giving James encouragement as he sculled the remnants of the bottle," Matenga said.

He was taken to the toilet and then outside where a parent nurse, Margaret Murphy checked him.

Parent host Rachel Carter then took him to her Mt Albert home and put him to bed to sleep it off.

"There was nothing in her mind which would suggest that his life was in danger," Matenga said.

"Rachel Carter woke at around 7:15 am the next morning. She went in to the bedroom to check on James. She said that as she walked in she knew that he was dead. There was quite a lot of vomit."

Matenga took evidence from forensic pathologist Paul Marrow who said James had enough alcohol in him - 391 mg/100 ml of blood/alcohol to "account for poisoning and death.

Marrow said James had been in a high risk category in which drinking spirits, for example 250 ml or more of 40 percent spirits quickly will cause a person to become unconscious.

"James has clearly succumbed to the effects of alcohol intoxication to such an extent that it has caused his death," Matenga said.

He said in his finding that while it was illegal to sell alcohol to those under 18, it was not illegal for under 18-year-olds to possess it.

"Perhaps if it were an offence to supply liquor to a minor as opposed to purchase liquor for a minor, then that may have been sufficient to give James Barwell-Smith and the person or persons that supplied alcohol to Alex Banks and his friends, pause to consider," Matenga said.

"Consuming alcohol is a life choice each person must make. Young people need to be taught about the dangers of alcohol so they may make an informed choice.

"I am satisfied that the adults did what they thought should be done and that their actions were both reasonable and understandable.

"Unfortunately for James, that was not enough to save him from himself."

Commenting on the findings, Donald Webster said in his formative years he and friends never tried drinking neat spirits.

"That is what killed James. He didn't know, we feel, that that would kill him. We think that the teenage binge drinking culture is all about 'how good am I'.

"Our teenagers have this, I don't know why, but they have this desire to portray an image of themselves that's a complete sham. They're just building themselves up. I call it bravado."

Webster said the parents, Penny and Charles, will hold a memorial service at King's College next month and will have a family internment of James' ashes at a family plot in June.

"They're quite stoic about the whole thing but they're not coping very well. This type of thing will trigger all the memories flooding back."

Banks said the tragedy showed no family was exempt from the potential of such devastating consequences of guzzling alcohol in huge quantities over a short period of time.

"And it just brings home the truth that we as parents need to be vigilant with our teenagers.

"Binge drinking by young people in this country is of epidemic proportions," Banks said.

"It's always a shock when a young boy's life is taken through binge drinking and it brings home the reality when it happens within your own family.

"The coroner's report also suggests that young people are taught to be very aware of the consequences of leaving a mate unattended in a state of semi-consciousness. And my boy in particular has learnt that and immediately attended a first aid course with St John, which was all a bit too late."

Mr Banks questioned the people supervising the party, saying they "need to look to themselves and learn this hard lesson that, if you're going to be responsible for a teenager's party then you must be alert at all times because teenagers will be teenagers."