Dunedin student’s ‘senseless’ death prompts coroner’s warning on binge drinking

Anna LeaskSenior Journalist - Crime and Justice·NZ Herald·13 Sep, 2026 05:00 PM6 mins to read‌With alcohol consumption down 8.4%, we find out why people are drinking less. Video / Ryan Bridge TODAYA coroner has issued a “critical” warning about the life-threatening effects of excessive alcohol consumption after a 20-year-old Otago University student died after becoming heavily intoxicated at a party in 2023. Associate Coroner Emma Van Son ruled that the first-year student died from asphyxia after aspirating gastric contents while unconscious.