Alcohol blamed in Slave Lake deaths

Slave Lake RCMP are warning people about the dangers of drinking in the wake of two recent alcohol-related deaths in the area.

Police believe a 29-year-old man, whose body was found in his backyard Dec. 15, died of exposure after attending his work Christmas party the night before. The temperature dipped to -21 C that night.

The man consumed a large amount of alcohol at the party and got a ride home at around 2 a.m., police said in a release. He was found 18 hours later by a friend. The death was the second alcohol-related death in a week.

A 48-year-old Slave Lake man died of head injuries on Dec. 14 after falling down a set of stairs while impaired.

Police are not releasing the names of the deceased men due to privacy concerns.

“We all know that impaired driving is illegal, but the public also needs to know that there are other serious risks associated with drinking to excess anywhere at any time,” Sgt. Roberta McKale of the Slave Lake RCMP said in a release. “The spirit of the season is to create positive warm memories, not painful ones of grief and loss. When people drink too much, they make bad choices so we all have to be aware of the risks to ensure our friends and family stay safe.”

There are always risks when alcohol is consumed and people become impaired to the point of not being able to make reasonable decisions about their safety.

Those risks are compounded during cold winter months, McKale said.

“Someone who’s intoxicated would be more likely to take that risk than someone who’s not,” he said.