5 attempted to commit suicide by overusing tablets during Near Year

There have been five cases during the New Year holidays when Armenian citizens overused tablets in an attempt to commit suicide, Armenia's chief toxicologist Michael Gabrielyan has said.

At a press conference today Gabrielyan said that from January 1-10 there were sixteen cases of poisoning in Armenia of which six have been caused by alcoholic drinks.

In January last year 41 cases of poisoning were registered of which 8 which were caused by alcohol, he added.

Further Gabrielyan said that in January 2009 the number of poisonings was 38 with alcohol being the cause of seven poisonings.

To avoid alcoholic poisoning, Gabrielyan's advice is not to overuse alcohol and to avoid mixing various alcoholic drinks at the same time.

"Our people are in the habit of passing from strong drinks to soft ones, and vice-versa. Alcohol mustn't be abused," said Gabrielyan.